Chee, Heng Leng

H., Normah

Huang, Mary Soo Lee

Khor, Geok Lin

Universiti Putra Malaysia Institutional Repository

UPM Research Report 1998: Volume 2NUTRITIONAL AND COMMUNITY HEALTHEPIDEMIOLOGY OF VARIOUS POPULATIONGROUPS IN THE RURAL AND URBAN AREAS INSARAWAK AND SABAHG.L. Khor, H.L. Chee, M.S.L. Huang and H. NonnahDepartment of Nutrition and Community Health, Faculty ofMedicine and Health SciencesUniversiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor,MalaysiaKeywords: nutritionalstatus, community health,Sarawak, Sabah.IntroductionData on the nutritional and health status of various popula-tions groups in Sabah and Sarawak are limited. These twostates comprise diverse cultural communities living in a widespectrum of ecological environment. The influence of theenvironment (geographical, socio-economic and cultural) ontheir food supply system, utilisation of health care, and nu-tritional status of various age groups, especially children,women and the elderly, should be studied and documented.In this way, there would bea greater understanding of howthese people cope in meeting household demands for foodneeds, nutritional and health care, especially in the face ofchallenging environmental changes.Materials and MethodsThe study was based on epidemiological approaches coupledwith specific methods for the assessment of nutritional andhealth status. A structured questionnaire was used for elicit-ing background data on the households, while anthropomet-ric measurements, biochemical tests on blood and urine anddietary assessment were applied depending upon the groupbeing studied.Results and DiscussionResults obtained so far are reported in five theses (B.S-Pemakanan & Kesihatan Komuniti), out of which one manu-script had been accepted for publication in Journal of Malay-sian Studies. Three of the .studies were undertaken inSarawak while the other two studies were done in Sabah. InSarawak, focus was given to the nutritional status of young314children namely" Bidayuh children aged 2-6 (n=60) in a ruralcommunity (Kg Mujat, Serian District) and urban childrenaged 7-12 in Bintulu town (n=120). The prevalence of un-derweight (45% boys & 59% girls) stunting (42% boys &55% girls) are high among the Bidayuh children. One factorcontributing to the low nutritional status is inadequate intakeof energy and nutrients particularly calcium and vitamin A.Poverty is the underlying factor as about 44% of the house-holds can be categorised as very poor. In comparison, themain nutritional problem among the urban children is over-weight (30%). Most of these children eat out (away fromhome) at least once a week and they frequently eat fish, eggsand drink milk. Since poverty plays an important influenceon the nutritional status of children, the third study inSarawak addressed the coping mechanism by housewives(n=240) on economic and health care for the householdmembers. Some of the ways they reported they would use tocope when necessary include eating out less often, cuttingdown food wastage, reducing purchase of vegetables andfruits, buying more on credit, and seeking medical treatmentonly when really essential. The nutritional status of youngchildren from poor communities in Sabah appears to be asunsatisfactory as their counterparts in Sarawak. In assessinga group of Irranun children aged 4-6 (n=90) in Kota Belud,Sabah, it was found that 57% were underweight.and 59%stunted. Their mean intake of energy and most nutrientswere below the recommended levels. About 41 % of thehouseholds live below the poverty income line. They re-ported ways of coping with economic difficulties that in-cluded rearing chickens, planting vegetables, purchasingfood on 'credit from grocery shops, substituting cheaper foodsand decrease expenditures. In 1999 -2000 a graduate studentwill be carrying his study in Sabah focussing on the problemof iron deficiency anaemia and other micro-nutrient defi-ciency in various age groups.ConclusionsIn general, the majority of the studied population groupswere living in the poverty category and the prevalence of un-derweight and stunting among the children are higher thanthose in rural communities in the peninsula, Dietary intake isgenerally below the recommended levels. Housewives re-ported various ways of being thrifty in coping with povertyand high costs of living.Supported by IRPA Grant 06-0241-0014

Nutritional and community health epidemiology of various population groups in the rural and urban areas in Sarawak and Sabah

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Nutritional and community health epidemiology of various population groups in the rural and urban areas in Sarawak and Sabah

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