Nutritional Practices and Body Mass Index among Secondary School Students

Abstract

This study investigated the nutritional practices and body mass index (BMI) among secondary school students in Kerian District, Perak. The respondents of this study consisted of 363 first, second, and fourth-grade students who were selected through a simple random sampling method in secondary schools in Kerian District, Perak. Questionnaires were distributed to selected schools in this study. The questionnaire in the study was obtained from the Meal Pattern Questionnaire (MPQ), which requires the socio-economic status of parents' monthly income, students' body mass index, and students' eating habits. The study's findings showed that the nutritional practices among secondary school students are in the presence of moderate, whereas the body mass index of students is also at the level of underweight. Meanwhile, students' socio-economic status is of the low-income group. In addition, there were significant differences in terms of nutritional practices among secondary school students based on the family's socio-economic status. The study's findings also showed no significant relationship between dietary practices and body mass index (BMI) of secondary school students. The findings of this study can be used as a reference and provide conclusive assistance in improving the nutritional practices through learning sessions and learning of Physical and Health Education in schools.