From: Risk factors of malnutrition among preschool children in Terengganu, Malaysia: a case control study
Variable | Case (n = 137) | Control (n = 137) |  | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mean ± sd | n (%) | Mean ± sd | n (%) | p value |
Child’s age (month) |  |  |  |  |  |
  0-5 | 5 |  | 4 |  |  |
  6-11 | 8 |  | 8 |  |  |
  12-23 | 19 |  | 19 |  |  |
  24-35 | 30 |  | 29 |  |  |
  36-47 | 40 |  | 41 |  |  |
  48-59 | 54 |  | 54 |  |  |
Child’s sex |  |  |  |  | 0.003 |
  Female |  | 88 (64.2) |  | 65 (47.4) |  |
  Male |  | 49 (35.8) |  | 72 (52.6) |  |
Mother’s age (years) | 31 ± 6 |  | 30 ± 7 |  | 0.300 |
Father’s age (years) | 36 ± 7 |  | 34 ± 7 |  | 0.170 |
Mother’s ethnicity |  |  |  |  | 1.000 |
  Malay |  | 137 (100) |  | 137 (100) |  |
Father’s ethnicity |  |  |  |  | 0.990 |
  Malay |  | 130 (99.2) |  | 132 (99.2) |  |
Mother’s educational level |  |  |  |  | 0.003 |
  Primary and less |  | 15 (11) |  | 11 (8.0) |  |
  Secondary |  | 103 (75.2) |  | 83 (60.6) |  |
  Tertiary |  | 19 (13.8) |  | 43 (31.4) |  |
Father’s educational level |  |  |  |  | 0.090 |
  Primary and less |  | 18 (13.7) |  | 8 (6) |  |
  Secondary |  | 89 (68) |  | 94 (70.7) |  |
  Tertiary |  | 24 (18.3) |  | 31 (23.3) |  |
Mother’s working status |  |  |  |  | 0.049 |
  Housewife |  | 91 (66.4) |  | 75 (54.7) |  |
  Working |  | 46 (33.6) |  | 62 (45.3) |  |
Father’s working status |  |  |  |  | 0.310 |
  Jobless or retired |  | 3 (2.3) |  | 1 (0.8) |  |
  Government |  | 17 (13) |  | 29 (21.8) |  |
  Private |  | 69 (52.7) |  | 62 (46.6) |  |
  Self-employed |  | 42 (32) |  | 41 (30.8) |  |
Household poverty status (income per capita) | Â | Â | Â | Â | <0.001 |
  Poor (≤RM198) |  | 37 (27) |  | 18 (13.1) |  |
  Low income (RM198 < x ≤ RM357) | 40 (29.2) |  | 27 (19.7) |  | |
  Non-poor (>RM357) |  | 60 (43.8) |  | 92 (67.2) |  |
Household size | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.710 |
  5 persons and below |  | 82 (59.9) |  | 85 (62) |  |
  6 person and above |  | 55 (40.1) |  | 52 (38) |  |
Number of children | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.013 |
  3 persons and below |  | 93 (67.9) |  | 111 (81) |  |
  4 persons and above |  | 44 (32.1) |  | 26 (19) |  |
Type of toilet | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â |
  Flush toilet |  | 61(44.5) |  | 73 (53.3) | 0.150 |
  Pour/pit |  | 76 (55.5) |  | 64 (46.7) |  |
Sources of drinking water | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.420 |
  Pipe water inside house |  | 123 (89.8) |  | 125 (91.2) |  |