Publication: Dietary diversity and nutritional status among primary school children aged between 7 to 10 years in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
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Date
2018-06
Authors
Mustapa, Nik Nur Izyan Nik
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Abstract
Nutritional status of children is influenced by diet and diet quality can be reflected by
dietary diversity which is defined as the number of different food groups consumed over
a reference period, such as one day or one week. Dietary diversity has long been
recognized by nutritionists as a key measure of the diet quality because nutrients essential
for meeting nutritional requirements are not always found in sufficient amounts in a single
food item. This cross sectional study aimed to determine dietary diversity and nutritional
status among primary school children aged between seven to ten years in Kota Bharu,
Kelantan. The present study examined dietary diversity and BMI for age of 253 children
including 115 boys and 138 girls that attending primary school. Data were collected by
using a structured questionnaire and dietary diversity score (DDS) questionnaire was
adapted by using open access questionnaire from Food and Agriculture Organization.
Information was collected using 24-hour dietary recall and DDS were assessed based on
frequency of consumption for individual food items categorized into fourteen food
groups. DDS were calculated in order to measure diet diversification. Anthropometric
measurements which are weight and height of the children were taken and data were
analysed by using AnthroPlus software, and body mass index (BMI) for-age and gender
classified according to the WHO Child Growth Standards reference to monitor growth of
children. The data obtain were analysed for both descriptive and inferential statistics by
using Statistical Package for Special Social Science version 22 software (SPSS). Out of
the fourteen food groups, the mean of DDS was 6.52±1.40, with cereals being the most (99.6%) commonly consumed food group and 50.2% of children had medium dietary
diversity. While, 48.6 % had lower dietary diversity with only 1.2% of children had higher
dietary diversity. Other commonly consumed foods included eggs, dark green leafy
vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds and other vegetables. The least consumed food
groups were organ meat, vitamin A rich vegetables and tubers, other fruits, vitamin A
rich fruits, and white roots and tuber. The mean of BMI was 16.36 kg/m2, with 60.5%
normal BMI, 15.1% of the respondents were underweight, 11.9% overweight and 12.6%
were obese. However, Fisher’s Exact test and Pearson’s Correlation test showed dietary
diversity was not significantly associated with BMI of children, socio-economic status
(parental occupation, maternal education level and monthly household income) and
demographic factors (household size and gender). As conclusion, the present study
showed high prevalence of low dietary diversity and poor nutritional status among
children focusing on underweight, overweight and obese. This demonstrates the need for
continuing programs aimed at improving variety consumption of food groups and
nutritional status of children.