Parenting influences associated with BMI-for-age z-score of Malaysian children aged 6-36 months: a cross-sectional study based on an online survey
Introduction: Malnutrition in early life can contribute to lifelong health consequences. Both fathers and mothers can influence children’s feeding, eating behaviours, and body weight status. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the association between parental factors and body mass index-fo...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nutrition Society of Malaysia
2024
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116584/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116584/1/116584.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848867042018459648 |
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| author | Wong, Hui Juan Chin, Yit Siew Lim, Poh Ying Tan, Cin Cin |
| author_facet | Wong, Hui Juan Chin, Yit Siew Lim, Poh Ying Tan, Cin Cin |
| author_sort | Wong, Hui Juan |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Introduction: Malnutrition in early life can contribute to lifelong health consequences. Both fathers and mothers can influence children’s feeding, eating behaviours, and body weight status. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the association between parental factors and body mass index-for-age z-score (BAZ) of Malaysian children aged 6-36 months. Methods: An online questionnaire using Google Form, which comprised of socio-demographic factors, parental lifestyle and feeding factors, children’s birth history and eating behaviours, was completed by 282 pairs of fathers and mothers of full-term children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health records were accessed with parental consent to ensure accurate measurements of children’s weight and length, while both fathers and mothers self-reported their weight and height. Results: Prevalence of at-risk overweight, overweight, and obesity among children was 10.7%, 2.8%, and 1.1%, respectively, while wasting and severe wasting was 5.7% and 0.4%, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis found that higher birth weight ( β=0.271, p<0.001), less frequent use of food to calm by fathers ( β=-0.127, p=0.035), and higher maternal BMI ( β=0.136, p=0.021) significantly contributed to higher BAZ among children. Conclusion: These findings suggest that interventions should involve both fathers and mothers with a focus on nutrition education in promoting responsive feeding, such as minimising use of food, to calm children. Additionally, efforts to ensure good nutrition before and during pregnancy to achieve ideal birth weight are equally important. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:30:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-116584 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:30:12Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Nutrition Society of Malaysia |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1165842025-04-11T10:16:19Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116584/ Parenting influences associated with BMI-for-age z-score of Malaysian children aged 6-36 months: a cross-sectional study based on an online survey Wong, Hui Juan Chin, Yit Siew Lim, Poh Ying Tan, Cin Cin Introduction: Malnutrition in early life can contribute to lifelong health consequences. Both fathers and mothers can influence children’s feeding, eating behaviours, and body weight status. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the association between parental factors and body mass index-for-age z-score (BAZ) of Malaysian children aged 6-36 months. Methods: An online questionnaire using Google Form, which comprised of socio-demographic factors, parental lifestyle and feeding factors, children’s birth history and eating behaviours, was completed by 282 pairs of fathers and mothers of full-term children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health records were accessed with parental consent to ensure accurate measurements of children’s weight and length, while both fathers and mothers self-reported their weight and height. Results: Prevalence of at-risk overweight, overweight, and obesity among children was 10.7%, 2.8%, and 1.1%, respectively, while wasting and severe wasting was 5.7% and 0.4%, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis found that higher birth weight ( β=0.271, p<0.001), less frequent use of food to calm by fathers ( β=-0.127, p=0.035), and higher maternal BMI ( β=0.136, p=0.021) significantly contributed to higher BAZ among children. Conclusion: These findings suggest that interventions should involve both fathers and mothers with a focus on nutrition education in promoting responsive feeding, such as minimising use of food, to calm children. Additionally, efforts to ensure good nutrition before and during pregnancy to achieve ideal birth weight are equally important. Nutrition Society of Malaysia 2024 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116584/1/116584.pdf Wong, Hui Juan and Chin, Yit Siew and Lim, Poh Ying and Tan, Cin Cin (2024) Parenting influences associated with BMI-for-age z-score of Malaysian children aged 6-36 months: a cross-sectional study based on an online survey. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 30 (3). pp. 459-471. ISSN 1394-035X; eISSN: 2811 - 3292 https://maljnutr.org.my/publication/30-3/Vol%2030(3)%2014.mjn.2024.0043%20Chin.pdf 10.31246/mjn-2024-0043 |
| spellingShingle | Wong, Hui Juan Chin, Yit Siew Lim, Poh Ying Tan, Cin Cin Parenting influences associated with BMI-for-age z-score of Malaysian children aged 6-36 months: a cross-sectional study based on an online survey |
| title | Parenting influences associated with BMI-for-age z-score of Malaysian children aged 6-36 months: a cross-sectional study based on an online survey |
| title_full | Parenting influences associated with BMI-for-age z-score of Malaysian children aged 6-36 months: a cross-sectional study based on an online survey |
| title_fullStr | Parenting influences associated with BMI-for-age z-score of Malaysian children aged 6-36 months: a cross-sectional study based on an online survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Parenting influences associated with BMI-for-age z-score of Malaysian children aged 6-36 months: a cross-sectional study based on an online survey |
| title_short | Parenting influences associated with BMI-for-age z-score of Malaysian children aged 6-36 months: a cross-sectional study based on an online survey |
| title_sort | parenting influences associated with bmi-for-age z-score of malaysian children aged 6-36 months: a cross-sectional study based on an online survey |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116584/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116584/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116584/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/116584/1/116584.pdf |