Nutritional status of children in Malaysia : persistence of old problems

Serious protein-energy malnutrition and severe nutrient deficiencies affected children in poor rural communities and estates during the first half of the century until the 1960s or so. Since then, the nutritional status of children in Malaysia in general has imporved amidst active socioeconomic development and various intervention programmes that have been implemented. Nevertheless, results from studies undertaken in the 1990s indicate that certain old nutrition problems in children still persist. These include protein-energy malnutrition in the forms of underweight, stunting and wasting, as well as iron deficiency anaemia, worm infestation and iodine deficiency disorders. Meanwhile, there is an increase in the prevalence of overweight among urban children. This review discusses the prevalence of these issues in rural communities, estates, Orang Asli, and communities in Sarawak and Sabah