Nutritional screening among paediatric indigenous population in Malaysia: a pilot study

Abstract

Introduction: Undernutrition is a serious health problem in developing countries. The prevalence of undernutrition is deemed higher among the indigenous community in many developing countries, owing to their relatively lower socioeconomic status, lack of healthcare awareness and essential needs, as well as poor sanitation facilities. We aimed to assess the nutritional status among children within a single indigenous community in Kampung Gabai, Malaysia. Materials and methods: We conducted a pilot study on the nutritional status of the paediatric population of the Orang Asli community in Kampung Gabai by assessingtheir anthropometric indices during a medical camp, as this community had never been assessed before. Anthropometric indices were based on heights, mid-upper arm circumferences and head circumferences of 21 children aged between 2 to 14 years. Additionally, skin evaluation and otoscopic examinations were performed in the same setting. Results: The prevalence of stunting was 38.1% among the children in Kampung Gabai. The height-for-age Z score distribution of the children skewed slightly to the left in comparison to the World Health Organization standard. The midupper-arm circumferences and the head circumferences of children who were less than 5 years old were within the normal range. The children generally had normal otoscopic and skin findings. Conclusion: This preliminary study concluded that the prevalence of stunting is high among indigenous children in a single community in Malaysia.