Table 2 Prevalence of obesity, overweight, normal, underweight, inactive and the mean number of meals eaten outside the home according to age group and ethnicity
Age group / years | Ethnicity | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Malay | Chinese | Indian | Orang Asli | All | ||
Obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2a) prevalence / % | 16–20 | 9.5 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 17.6 | 8.4 |
21–25 | 11.4 | 6.6 | 15.9 | 20.0 | 11.5 | |
26–30 | 17.4 | 11.8 | 15.2 | 21.9 | 16.7 | |
31–35 | 20.6 | 12.3 | 28.1 | 34.4 | 20.9 | |
Overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2b) prevalence / % | 16–20 | 12.0 | 14.4 | 14.3 | 14.7 | 12.8 |
21–25 | 18.7 | 20.7 | 17.8 | 32.0 | 19.1 | |
26–30 | 26.2 | 13.6 | 26.3 | 53.1 | 25.7 | |
31–35 | 28.8 | 25.4 | 26.6 | 37.5 | 28.4 | |
Normal (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2c) prevalence / % | 16–20 | 56.8 | 59.8 | 50.0 | 52.9 | 56.7 |
21–25 | 56.6 | 57.9 | 43.9 | 48.0 | 55.3 | |
26–30 | 47.5 | 65.5 | 48.5 | 25.0 | 48.8 | |
31–35 | 45.2 | 60.1 | 41.7 | 28.1 | 46.1 | |
Underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2d) prevalence / % | 16–20 | 21.7 | 20.6 | 29.7 | 14.7 | 22.1 |
21–25 | 13.4 | 14.9 | 22.4 | 0.0 | 14.1 | |
26–30 | 8.9 | 9.1 | 10.1 | 0.0 | 8.7 | |
31–35 | 5.4 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 0.0 | 4.6 | |
Prevalence inactive (<600 METs per week) / % | 16–20 | 47.8 | 47.1 | 44.1 | 32.0 | 46.5 |
21–25 | 39.7 | 20.7 | 28.6 | 33.3 | 35.2 | |
26–30 | 35.9 | 27.6 | 25.0 | 18.8 | 30.8 | |
31–35 | 36.9 | 46.9 | 12.5 | 15.8 | 34.4 | |
Mean number of meals eaten outside the home (95 % CI) | 16–20 | 4.6 (4.3–4.9) | 4.0 (3.1–4.9) | 6.5 (5.9–7.2) | 1.1 (0.6–1.5) | 4.9 (4.6–5.2) |
21–25 | 5.4 (5.0–5.8) | 4.2 (3.0–5.3) | 9.0 (7.9–10.3) | 0.8 (0.3–1.3) | 5.7 (5.3-6.0) | |
26–30 | 5.2 (4.8–5.5) | 4.8 (3.4–6.1) | 6.8 (5.6–8.0) | 1.0 (0.0–2.0) | 5.1 (4.8–5.4) | |
31–35 | 4.5 (4.1–4.8) | 2.7 (1.9–3.5) | 6.3 (5.2–7.4) | 0.8 (0.2–1.5) | 4.4 (4.1–4.7) | |