Tay Janice Ee Fang, Kaur Satvinder, Tham Wui Wui, Gan Wan Ying, Ya Nik Norasma Che, Tan Choon Hui, Tung Serene En Hui
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia.
Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia.
Nutr Res Pract. 2023 Apr;17(2):269-283. doi: 10.4162/nrp.2023.17.2.269. Epub 2022 Oct 6.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the food security status of urban poor adolescents and its association with diet quality.
SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 188 adolescents aged 13-18 yrs living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Household food insecurity and dietary intake data were collected using the Radimer/Cornell hunger and food insecurity instrument and 2-day 24-h dietary recalls, respectively. Diet quality was determined using the Malaysian Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Weight and height were measured and body mass index-for-age, as well as height-for-age z scores were calculated.
The present study revealed that 47.9% of the adolescents experienced household food insecurity, 24.5% experienced individual food insecurity, 18.6% household food security, and 9.0% child hunger. The mean score of diet quality was 56.83 ± 10.09, with a significantly lower HEI score among food insecure adolescents (household food insecure, individual food insecure, and child hunger) than household food secure adolescents ( = 0.001). The differences between food secure and food insecure households were found to be significant for energy ( = 0.001) and nutrients including proteins ( = 0.006), carbohydrates ( = 0.005), dietary fiber ( = 0.001), folate ( < 0.001), and vitamin C ( = 0.006). The multiple linear regression showed that adolescents who experienced food insecurity (β = -0.328; = 0.003) were found to be significantly associated with poor diet quality (F = 2.726; < 0.01), wherein 13.3% of the variation in the diet quality was explained by the food security status.
Experiencing food insecurity contributed to poor diet quality among urban poor adolescents. Further longitudinal studies are needed to comprehensively understand this association to improve food insecurity and diet quality among urban poor communities.
背景/目的：本研究旨在调查城市贫困青少年的粮食安全状况及其与饮食质量的关联。
对象/方法：对居住在马来西亚吉隆坡的188名13 - 18岁青少年进行了横断面调查。分别使用拉迪默/康奈尔饥饿与粮食不安全工具和2天24小时饮食回顾法收集家庭粮食不安全和饮食摄入数据。饮食质量通过马来西亚健康饮食指数（HEI）来确定。测量体重和身高，并计算年龄别体重指数以及年龄别身高z评分。
本研究显示，47.9%的青少年经历家庭粮食不安全，24.5%经历个人粮食不安全，18.6%家庭粮食安全，9.0%儿童饥饿。饮食质量的平均得分为56.83±10. .09，粮食不安全青少年（家庭粮食不安全、个人粮食不安全和儿童饥饿）的HEI得分显著低于家庭粮食安全青少年（P = 0.001）。粮食安全和粮食不安全家庭在能量（P = 0.001）以及包括蛋白质（P = 0.006）、碳水化合物（P = 0.005）、膳食纤维（P = 0.001）、叶酸（P < 0.001）和维生素C（P = 0.006）等营养素方面存在显著差异。多元线性回归显示，经历粮食不安全的青少年（β = -0.328；P = 0.003）与不良饮食质量显著相关（F = 2.726；P < 0.01），其中饮食质量13.3%的变异可由粮食安全状况解释。
经历粮食不安全导致城市贫困青少年饮食质量较差。需要进一步开展纵向研究以全面了解这种关联关系，从而改善城市贫困社区的粮食不安全状况和饮食质量。
