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<p>Undernutrition remains a persistent public health concern, particularly among preschool-aged children, despite significant economic progress in Malaysia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of undernutrition and identify its associated factors among preschoolers from low-income urban families. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from April to August&#xa0;2025 among 326 children aged 4–6&#xa0;years attending government subsidised preschools in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. Anthropometric measurements including weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), mid-arm circumference (MUAC) were taken, and mothers completed a structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, child health history, and the Malaysian Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ-M). Undernutrition was defined as the presence of underweight, stunting, or wasting that complied to WHO standards. Multivariate binary logistic regression performed to identify factors associated with undernutrition. The prevalence of undernutrition was 34.7% with underweight, stunting, and wasting recorded at 29.8%, 16.0%, and 12.0%, respectively. Factors associated with undernutrition included child age ≥ 60&#xa0;months (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.42; 95%&#xa0;CI&#xa0;1.17–5.00), low birth weight (aOR = 0.24; 95%&#xa0;CI&#xa0;0.11–0.53), presence of chronic disease (aOR = 3.49; 95%&#xa0;CI&#xa0;1.08–11.36), and maternal underweight (aOR = 13.40; 95%&#xa0;CI&#xa0;1.13–159.38). Higher parental involvement in feeding (aOR = 1.31; 95%&#xa0;CI&#xa0;1.07–1.61) and lower restriction for weight control (aOR = 0.92; 95%&#xa0;CI&#xa0;0.87–0.97) were also associated with increased odds of undernutrition, whereas socioeconomic variables such as parental income and education level were not significant. Undernutrition among preschoolers from urban low-income households in Kuala Lumpur remains prevalent and was more consistently associated with biological and familial factors, including intergenerational influences, than with socioeconomic characteristics within this study population. These findings highlight the importance of integrated interventions focusing on maternal nutrition, early growth monitoring, and evidence-based caregiver feeding support to reduce intergenerational undernutrition risk.</p>

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Prevalence and factors associated with undernutrition among preschoolers in low-income urban households in Malaysia

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月8日

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  • Abdul Hakim Abdul Wahid,
  • Zahara Abdul Manaf,
  • Nur Hana Hamzaid,
  • Haslina Abdul Hamid,
  • Rosnah Sutan

摘要

Undernutrition remains a persistent public health concern, particularly among preschool-aged children, despite significant economic progress in Malaysia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of undernutrition and identify its associated factors among preschoolers from low-income urban families. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from April to August 2025 among 326 children aged 4–6 years attending government subsidised preschools in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. Anthropometric measurements including weight, height, Body Mass Index (BMI), mid-arm circumference (MUAC) were taken, and mothers completed a structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, child health history, and the Malaysian Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ-M). Undernutrition was defined as the presence of underweight, stunting, or wasting that complied to WHO standards. Multivariate binary logistic regression performed to identify factors associated with undernutrition. The prevalence of undernutrition was 34.7% with underweight, stunting, and wasting recorded at 29.8%, 16.0%, and 12.0%, respectively. Factors associated with undernutrition included child age ≥ 60 months (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.42; 95% CI 1.17–5.00), low birth weight (aOR = 0.24; 95% CI 0.11–0.53), presence of chronic disease (aOR = 3.49; 95% CI 1.08–11.36), and maternal underweight (aOR = 13.40; 95% CI 1.13–159.38). Higher parental involvement in feeding (aOR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.07–1.61) and lower restriction for weight control (aOR = 0.92; 95% CI 0.87–0.97) were also associated with increased odds of undernutrition, whereas socioeconomic variables such as parental income and education level were not significant. Undernutrition among preschoolers from urban low-income households in Kuala Lumpur remains prevalent and was more consistently associated with biological and familial factors, including intergenerational influences, than with socioeconomic characteristics within this study population. These findings highlight the importance of integrated interventions focusing on maternal nutrition, early growth monitoring, and evidence-based caregiver feeding support to reduce intergenerational undernutrition risk.