Skip to main content

Table 2 Distribution (%) of children’s intelligence quotient (IQ) by sociodemographic characteristics and nutritional status categories

From: Low socioeconomic status and severe obesity are linked to poor cognitive performance in Malaysian children

 

Low/borderline

Below average

Average

High average

Superior

Likelihood ratio

p value

Mean

95% CI

Mean

95% CI

Mean

95% CI

Mean

95% CI

Mean

95% CI

Sex

 Boys

10.1

8.3, 12.2

14.3

11.6, 17.5

38.0

34.5, 41.7

20.7

17.9, 23.7

16.9

14.5, 19.7

18.726

p < 0.05

 Girls

14.5

11.9, 17.6

13.1

10.6, 16.0

40.3

36.6, 44.1

15.9

13.5, 18.6

16.3

13.6, 19.3

  

Age groups

 5.0–6.9 years

14.6

11.3, 18.7

11.9

9.2, 15.4

36.0

31.5, 40.7

19.4

15.9, 23.4

18.1

14.8, 22.0

37.301

p < 0.01

 7.0–9.9 years

12.4

10.1, 15.1

13.5

11.0, 16.5

36.2

32.3, 40.3

17.6

14.8, 20.9

20.2

17.1, 23.8

  

 10.0–12.9 years

10.5

7.9, 13.8

15.0

11.4, 19.4

44.1

39.4, 48.9

18.4

15.3, 22.0

12.0

9.4, 15.2

  

Residence

 Urban

11.9

10.0, 14.1

13.1

10.9, 15.6

38.8

35.8, 42.0

17.9

15.8, 20.3

18.2

16.0, 20.6

21.290

p < 0.01

 Rural

13.3

11.0, 16.1

16.2

12.9, 20.1

40.3

36.0, 44.7

20.0

16.5, 24.1

10.2

8.2, 12.7

  

Income groups

 Below MYR1500

17.3

14.0, 21.1

17.5

13.6, 22.2

43.2

38.4, 48.1

13.9

11.2, 17.1

8.2

6.2, 10.7

151.781

p < 0.001

 MYR1500-MYR2299

12.9

9.3, 17.7

13.9

10.3, 18.5

37.9

32.0, 44.2

21.5

17.0, 26.9

13.8

10.4, 18.1

  

 MYR2300-MYR5599

9.9

7.5, 13.0

10.9

8.4, 14.1

40.9

36.5, 45.5

18.7

15.6, 22.3

19.6

16.3, 23.3

  

 MYR5600 and above

6.5

4.2, 10.1

11.8

7.9, 17.3

30.2

25.0, 35.9

22.1

17.3, 27.6

29.4

23.9, 35.7

  

Paternal education level

 Non-schooling and primary school

17.7

11.9, 25.6

22.4

13.3, 35.3

36.4

27.2, 46.7

14.4

9.2, 21.7

9.1

5.4, 15.0

99.370

p < 0.001

 Secondary school

14.2

12.0, 16.7

13.6

11.5, 16.0

41.0

37.7, 44.3

17.4

15.2, 19.9

13.8

11.8, 16.0

  

 Tertiary school

6.0

4.0, 8.7

11.3

8.2, 15.4

35.6

31.1, 40.4

21.7

18.0, 25.9

25.4

21.2, 30.1

  

Maternal education level

 Non-schooling and primary school

21.8

14.4, 31.6

21.0

12.3, 33.4

37.9

27.7, 49.1

10.1

6.0, 16.5

9.3

4.9. 17.1

119.384

p < 0.001

 Secondary school

13.5

11.5, 15.9

13.7

11.5, 16.2

42.2

39.0, 45.5

17.1

14.9, 19.5

13.5

11.6, 15.7

  

 Tertiary school

6.4

4.5, 9.0

11.9

8.7, 15.9

31.7

27.3, 36.5

23.8

19.9, 28.2

26.2

22.0, 30.9

  

Ethnicity

 Malay

13.5

11.2, 16.2

16.1

13.3, 19.3

41.7

38.0, 45.5

15.5

13.0, 18.3

13.2

10.9, 16.0

117.651

p < 0.001

 Chinese

7.5

5.4, 10.2

8.2

6.0, 11.1

30.5

26.3, 35.1

25.3

21.3, 29.8

28.5

24.2, 33.2

  

 Indian

17.6

12.1, 24.9

12.0

7.4, 19.0

45.2

35.5, 55.3

13.0

8.3, 19.7

12.1

6.8, 20.8

  

 Others

10.9

7.3, 16.0

12.0

8.5, 16.6

37.3

32.2, 42.7

23.2

19.2, 27.7

16.6

13.1, 20.8

  

BAZ groups

 Thinness

5.9

3.3, 10.3

18.1

11.7, 26.9

44.8

34.1, 56.1

16.6

11.0, 24.4

14.6

8.9, 22.8

43.447

p = 0.102

 Normal weight

12.5

10.6, 14.7

11.5

9.6, 13.8

39.3

36.2, 42.6

18.7

16.4, 21.3

17.9

15.7, 20.4

  

 Overweight

14.9

10.6, 20.7

14.7

9.1, 23.0

38.2

31.3, 45.5

19.3

14.5, 25.2

12.9

8.9, 18.4

  

 Obese

9.4

4.7, 17.6

19.4

13.0, 28.0

37.5

30.1, 45.5

19.9

14.5, 26.6

13.9

8.5, 21.8

  

 Severe obesity

17.1

9.9, 28.0

19.0

11.4, 29.9

35.1

25.4, 46.2

10.1

5.6, 17.5

18.7

11.9, 28.3

  

HAZ groups

 Stunted

16.4

9.9, 26.2

14.8

9.0, 23.4

36.6

26.4, 48.2

19.4

12.3, 29.1

12.8

7.7, 20.4

3.969

p = 0.656

 Normal height

11.9

10.3, 13.8

13.6

11.7, 15.8

39.3

36.6, 42.0

18.3

16.4, 20.4

16.8

15.0, 18.9

  
  1. IQ categories: < 80, low/borderline; 80–90, below average; 90–109, average; 110–119, high average; ≥ 120, superior
  2. Other ethnic groups include Sarawak bumiputra, Sabah bumiputra, and other bumiputra
  3. ǂUSD 1 = MYR 4.1405 (as at 28 September 2018)
Back to article page

BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

Contact us