Background
Methods
Study design and sites
Participants and sampling method
Data collection
Data analyses
Results
Sociodemographic characteristics of respondents
Variables | Total (N = 2983) | Gender | Ethnicity | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male (n = 1486) | Female (n = 1497) | Malay (n = 1920) | Chinese (n = 485) | Indian (n = 565) | ||
n (%) | ||||||
Age, median years (IQR) | 36 (26–49) | 36 (25–49) | 36 (27–49) | 34 (25–46) | 45 (33–56)* | 36 (24–48) |
Age group, years | ||||||
≤ 30 | 1149 (38.5) | 578 (38.9) | 571 (38.1) | 797 (41.5) | 112 (23.1) | 235 (41.6) |
31–50 | 1211 (40.6) | 587 (39.5) | 624 (41.7) | 778 (40.5) | 208 (42.9) | 219 (38.8) |
> 50 | 623 (20.9) | 321 (21.6) | 302 (20.2) | 345 (18.0) | 165 (34.0)* | 111 (19.7) |
Gender | ||||||
Male | 1486 (49.8) | – | – | 958 (49.9) | 253 (52.2) | 271 (48.0) |
Female | 1497 (50.2) | – | – | 962 (50.1) | 232 (47.8) | 294 (52.0) |
Ethnicity | ||||||
Malay | 1920 (64.4) | 958 (64.5) | 962 (64.3) | – | – | – |
Chinese | 485 (16.3) | 253 (17.0) | 232 (15.5) | – | – | – |
Indian | 565 (18.9) | 271 (18.2) | 294 (19.6) | – | – | – |
Other | 13 (0.4) | 4 (0.3) | 9 (0.6) | – | – | – |
Marital status | ||||||
Unmarried | 1035 (34.7) | 586 (39.5) | 449 (30.0) | 675 (35.2) | 124 (25.6) | 230 (40.7) |
Married | 1812 (60.8) | 849 (57.1)* | 963 (64.3)* | 1177 (61.3) | 325 (67.2)* | 303 (53.6) |
Divorced/widowed | 135 (4.5) | 50 (3.4) | 85 (5.7) | 68 (3.5) | 35 (7.2) | 32 (5.7) |
Education | ||||||
Primary school or below | 174 (5.8) | 73 (4.9) | 101 (6.8) | 71 (3.7) | 70 (14.4)* | 32 (5.7) |
Lower secondary schoola | 367 (12.3) | 174 (11.7)* | 193 (12.9)* | 201 (10.5) | 79 (16.3)* | 87 (15.4) |
Higher secondary schoolb | 1909 (64.0) | 1009 (67.9)* | 900 (60.1)* | 1289 (67.1) | 256 (52.8) | 357 (63.2) |
Pre-university or above | 533 (17.9) | 230 (15.5)* | 303 (20.2)* | 359 (18.7) | 80 (16.5) | 89 (15.8) |
Occupation | ||||||
Government employee | 114 (3.8) | 73 (4.9) | 41 (2.7) | 98 (5.1)* | 4 (0.8) | 12 (2.1) |
Private sector employee | 1381 (46.3) | 836 (56.3) | 545 (36.5) | 886 (46.2) | 207 (42.7) | 278 (49.2) |
Self-employed | 404 (13.6) | 241 (16.2) | 163 (10.9) | 274 (14.3) | 65 (13.4) | 65 (11.5) |
Homemaker/unpaid worker | 479 (16.1) | 23 (1.6)* | 456 (30.5)* | 295 (15.4) | 80 (16.5) | 102 (18.1) |
Retired/pensioner | 161 (5.4) | 118 (8.0) | 43 (2.9) | 91 (4.8) | 53 (10.9)* | 17 (3.0) |
Unemployed | 285 (9.6) | 117 (7.9) | 168 (11.2) | 183 (9.6) | 55 (11.3)* | 47 (8.3) |
Student | 156 (5.2) | 77 (5.2) | 79 (5.3) | 90 (4.7) | 21 (4.3) | 44 (7.8)* |
Average monthly household income (RM) | ||||||
< 3000 | 1485 (49.8) | 731 (49.2) | 754 (50.4) | 930 (48.4) | 246 (50.7) | 302 (53.5) |
3000–4999 | 1183 (39.7) | 608 (40.9) | 575 (38.4) | 794 (41.4) | 188 (38.8) | 198 (35.0) |
≥ 5000 | 315 (10.6) | 147 (9.9) | 168 (11.2) | 196 (10.2) | 51 (10.5) | 65 (11.5) |
Household number | ||||||
1–2 person | 347 (11.6) | 178 (12.0) | 169 (11.3) | 198 (10.3) | 85 (17.5)* | 60 (10.6) |
3–5 person | 2031 (68.1) | 1021 (68.7) | 1010 (67.5) | 1281 (66.7) | 356 (73.4) | 386 (68.3) |
6–8 person | 561 (18.8) | 270 (18.2) | 291 (19.4) | 408 (21.3)* | 44 (9.1) | 109 (19.3) |
> 8 person | 44 (1.5) | 17 (1.1) | 27 (1.8) | 33 (1.7) | 0 | 10 (1.8) |
Dietary practices
Variables | Total (N = 2983) | Gender | Ethnicity | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male (n = 1486) | Female (n = 1497) | Malay (n = 1920) | Chinese (n = 485) | Indian (n = 565) | ||
n (%) | ||||||
Prevalence of inadequate intake of fruit or vegetablesa | 2670 (89.5) | 1335 (89.8) | 1335 (89.2) | 1738 (90.5)* | 413 (85.2) | 507 (89.7) |
Cook/prepare meals at home | 1539 (51.6) | 315 (21.2) | 1224 (81.8)* | 1028 (53.5) | 229 (47.2) | 272 (48.1) |
Dining out at least once in a weekb | 1382 (46.3) | 789 (53.1) | 593 (39.6)* | 920 (47.9) | 207 (42.7) | 250 (44.3) |
Frequency of ultra-processed beverages and foods consumption | ||||||
Overall intake of SSBs at least once per weekc | 2031 (68.1) | 1066 (71.7)* | 965 (64.5) | 1349 (70.3)* | 280 (57.7) | 396 (69.9)* |
CPRD drinks | ||||||
≥ Once a day | 57 (1.9) | 37 (2.5)* | 20 (1.3) | 39 (2.0) | 10 (2.1) | 8 (1.4) |
≥ Once a week | 571 (19.2) | 344 (23.3)* | 227 (15.2) | 350 (18.3) | 88 (18.2) | 131 (23.3) |
Seldom/never | 2343 (78.9) | 1098 (74.2) | 1245 (83.5) | 1523 (79.7) | 385 (79.7) | 424 (75.3) |
Sugar-added self-prepared drink | ||||||
≥ Once a day | 540 (18.1) | 275 (18.5) | 265 (17.7) | 388 (20.2)* | 40 (8.3) | 107 (18.9)* |
≥ Once a week | 1233 (41.4) | 657 (44.3)* | 576 (38.5) | 821 (42.8) | 191 (39.5) | 219 (38.8) |
Seldom/never | 1206 (40.5) | 552 (37.2) | 654 (43.8) | 708 (36.9) | 253 (52.3) | 239 (42.3) |
Premixed drinks | ||||||
≥ Once a day | 165 (5.6) | 72 (4.9) | 93 (6.2) | 116 (6.1) | 20 (4.2)* | 28 (5.0) |
≥ Once a week | 633 (21.2) | 332 (22.4) | 301 (20.2) | 387 (20.2) | 126 (26.3)* | 119 (21.2) |
Seldom/never | 2175 (73.2) | 1076 (72.7) | 1099 (73.6) | 1415 (73.8) | 334 (69.6) | 415 (73.8) |
Commercially baked goods | ||||||
≥ Once a day | 238 (8.0) | 97 (6.6) | 141 (9.5)* | 156 (8.2) | 33 (6.8) | 48 (8.5)* |
≥ Once a week | 1333 (44.9) | 660 (44.7) | 673 (45.1) | 887 (46.5)* | 185 (38.2) | 253 (45.0) |
Seldom/never | 1396 (47.1) | 719 (48.7) | 677 (45.4) | 865 (45.3) | 266 (55.0) | 261 (46.5) |
Packaged snack foods | ||||||
≥ Once a day | 77 (2.6) | 40 (2.7) | 37 (2.5) | 54 (2.8) | 8 (1.7) | 15 (2.7) |
≥ Once a week | 861 (29.0) | 460 (31.0) | 401 (27.0) | 564 (29.5) | 132 (27.3) | 162 (28.9) |
Seldom/never | 2029 (68.4) | 982 (66.3) | 1047 (70.5) | 1291 (67.6) | 344 (71.1) | 385 (68.5) |
Fast food | ||||||
≥ Once a day | 28 (0.9) | 17 (1.2) | 11 (0.7) | 19 (1.0) | 3 (0.6) | 5 (1.1) |
≥ Once a week | 445 (15.0) | 229 (15.5) | 216 (14.5) | 270 (14.1) | 88 (18.4) | 86 (15.2) |
Seldom/never | 2496 (84.1) | 1234 (83.4) | 1262 (84.8) | 1631 (84.9) | 388 (81.0) | 473 (83.7) |
Frequency of less healthy local food consumption | ||||||
Fried foods | ||||||
≥ Once a day | 106 (3.6) | 60 (4.1) | 46 (3.1) | 90 (4.7)* | 6 (1.2) | 10 (1.8) |
≥ Once a week | 1142 (38.5) | 571 (38.5) | 571 (38.4) | 799 (41.8)* | 157 (32.6) | 180 (32.1) |
Seldom/never | 1722 (58.0) | 852 (57.5) | 870 (58.5) | 1025 (53.6) | 319 (66.2) | 371 (66.1) |
Dessert food | ||||||
≥ Once a day | 97 (3.3) | 47 (3.2) | 50 (3.4) | 78 (4.1)* | 8 (1.7) | 10 (1.8) |
≥ Once a week | 945 (31.9) | 456 (30.9) | 489 (32.9) | 646 (33.8)* | 141 (29.3) | 154 (27.5) |
Seldom/never | 1923 (64.9) | 974 (65.9) | 949 (63.8) | 1186 (62.1) | 333 (69.1) | 396 (70.7) |
Perceptions on availability and price of healthy food and purchasing factors
Variables | Total (N = 2983) | Gender | Ethnicity | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male (n = 1486) | Female (n = 1497) | Malay (n = 1920) | Chinese (n = 485) | Indian (n = 565) | ||
n (%) | ||||||
Availability of healthy food | ||||||
Easy | 1153 (38.8) | 575 (38.7) | 582 (38.9) | 785 (40.9)* | 164 (33.8) | 204 (36.1) |
Moderate | 1440 (48.5) | 719 (48.4) | 727 (48.6) | 898 (46.8) | 255 (52.6) | 287 (50.8) |
Available with some difficulties | 318 (10.7) | 168 (11.3) | 152 (10.2) | 190 (9.9) | 62 (12.8)* | 66 (11.7) |
Rare/unavailable | 59 (2.0) | 24 (1.6) | 36 (2.4) | 47 (2.5) | 4 (0.8) | 8 (1.4) |
Price of healthy food | ||||||
Low | 712 (23.9) | 363 (24.4) | 349 (23.3) | 432 (22.5) | 140 (28.9)* | 139 (24.6) |
Moderate | 1775 (59.5) | 901 (60.6)* | 874 (58.4) | 1152 (60.0)* | 275 (56.7) | 338 (59.8) |
High | 496 (16.6) | 222 (14.9) | 274 (18.3)* | 336 (17.5) | 70 (14.4) | 88 (15.6) |
Food purchasing factorsa | ||||||
Price | 2358 (79.4) | 1164 (78.3) | 1207 (80.6) | 1535 (80.0) | 359 (74.0)* | 464 (82.1) |
Nutritional value | 2017 (67.9) | 1000 (67.3) | 1025 (68.5) | 1320 (68.8) | 338 (69.7)* | 359 (63.5) |
Taste | 2168 (73.0) | 1094 (73.6) | 1083 (72.3) | 1417 (73.8) | 333 (68.7) | 418 (74.0) |
Availability | 2228 (75.0) | 1109 (74.6) | 1131 (75.6) | 1428 (74.4) | 369 (76.1) | 431 (76.3) |
Popularity | 992 (33.4) | 517 (34.8) | 480 (32.1) | 657 (34.2) | 144 (29.7) | 191 (33.8) |