Abstract
Nutritional knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) may guide healthy meal choices. Here, nutritional KAP was compared across school students in Sabah based on locality and gender. A cross-sectional survey of students aged 15–19 years was conducted using multistage sampling. Nutritional KAP was measured via questionnaire. Anthropometric measures of weight and height were taken in person to calculate body mass index (BMI). Among the 994 participants, 80% were urban and 60% were female (mean age 16.5 ± 0.6 yr). Most were of Kadazan-Dusun (23%) ethnicity. Measured height for age Z score (HAZ) and BMI for age Z score (BAZ) differed between urban and rural students (−1.2 ± 0.8 versus −1.5 ± 0.7 for HAZ; p < 0.001; 0.2 ± 1.4 versus −0.1 ± 1.3; p = 0.02, respectively). No difference in nutritional knowledge was found, although urban students prioritized having a healthy/balanced diet (59.55% versus 48.50%, p = 0.03) and ate daily breakfast (57.4% versus 10.2%, p < 0.001) compared to rural. Females scored higher on nutritional knowledge than males (18.9 ± 2.8 vs. 18.1 ± 3.4, respectively, p = 0.0001), yet males selected more healthy/balanced foods (63.3% versus 53.3%, p = 0.041). The gap remains between nutritional KAP and translating this to healthy eating among adolescents, related to locality and gender.
Highlights
The Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013–2025 aims to provide an opportunity for eligible citizens to have access to education and standards, reduce the achievement gap and improve the education system’s effectiveness among individuals of all school levels [1]
Our study indicated that a significantly higher number of urban students reported more interest in healthy and balanced foods, but this may reflect opportunity and accessibility of these foods compared to rural settings
2013 [48], the present study showed a mild correlation between knowledge and practice among students which was expected because the knowledge scores impact the nutritional practices
Summary
The Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013–2025 aims to provide an opportunity for eligible citizens to have access to education and standards (quality), reduce the achievement gap (equity) and improve the education system’s effectiveness among individuals of all school levels [1]. Primary education in Malaysia begins at 7 years old, up to 12 years old. Students spend a further five years in their secondary education (Forms 1–3: Lower Secondary; Forms 4–6: Upper Secondary). The curricula remain standard across Malaysia under the Secondary School Standard Curriculum or Kurikulum Standard. Sekolah Menengah (KSSM), there remain some differences in the circumstances in which children receive their education. The Malaysian National Statistical Department define rural schools as those located inside (urban) or outside (rural) a metropolitan area with a population of more than 2500 people [2,3]. Several studies have provided evidence of the challenges among school students in Malaysia. The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) reported that among Malaysians aged
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