Dietary Intake and Nutrient Adequacy among PrePubertal Malaysian Children from Low Income Families in Kuala Lumpur

Background/Aims: Direct evidence on the adequacy of dietary intakes among Malaysian children from low income families in urban communities is limited. We evaluated the baseline 7-day diet histories of 243 pre-pubertal Malaysian children aged 9 to 11 years old from Kuala Lumpur participating in the effects of prebiotic fiber on bone health (PREBONE-Kids) study. Methods: Sociodemographic and anthropometric measurements were collected. Daily intakes of energy, macronutrients, micronutrients and servings of food were analysed. Results: About 79% of the families reported household monthly income below the median for urban communities in Kuala Lumpur. More than half of the children had normal BMI-for-age (59.8%) with 8.6% thinness and 31.7% overweight/ obesity. Dietary fat intake was relatively high contributing to 35% of the energy(en) intake due to frequent consumption of fried foods. Energy intake from dietary carbohydrate was 50%en with high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages while dietary protein intake was adequate (15%en) with fried chicken and eggs as major protein foods. Vegetables and fruits consumption were 50% below recommended serving sizes. Major micronutrients needed for growth such as calcium, vitamins A, C, D were inadequate (