Table 2.
Demographic data of children (n = 402)
| Characteristics | n (%) | Mean ± S.D. |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Boys | 174 (43.3) | - |
| Girls | 228 (56.7) | - |
| Ethnic | ||
| Malay | 154 (38.3) | - |
| Chinese | 125 (31.1) | - |
| Indian | 123 (30.6) | - |
| Age (year) | 402 (100.0) | 9.85 ± 1.38 |
| Younger children (≤9 years old) | 136 (33.8) | 8.22 ± 0.84 |
| Older children (>9 years old) | 266 (66.2) | 10.7 ± 0.69 |
| Body Mass Index, BMIa | ||
| Severely wasted and wasted (Below −2 Z-score) | 44 (10.9) | - |
| Normal (1 ≤ Z-score ≤ −2) | 219 (54.5) | - |
| Possible risk of overweight (1 < Z-score ≤ 2) | 63 (15.7) | - |
| Overweight and obese (Above 2 Z-score) | 76 (18.9) | - |
| Daily Physical Activity (hrs) | 402 (100.0) | 1.15 ± 0.68 |
| Less than once weekly | 24 (6.0) | 0.82 ± 0.50 |
| 1–3 times weekly | 245 (60.9) | 1.03 ± 0.58 |
| 4–6 times weekly | 78 (19.4) | 1.30 ± 0.72 |
| Everyday | 55 (13.7) | 1.58 ± 0.83 |
| Daily Internet Surfingb (hrs) | 230 (100.0) | 1.65 ± 1.58 |
| Daily TV Viewing time (hrs) | 402 (100.0) | 3.03 ± 1.52 |
| Weekday (hrs) | 402 (100.0) | 2.35 ± 1.40 |
| Weekend (hrs) | 402 (100.0) | 4.77 ± 2.60 |
| Television in Bedroom | ||
| Yes | 84 (20.9) | - |
| No | 318 (79.1) | - |
| Daily Pocket Money (RM) | 402 (100.0) | 3.13 ± 1.80 |
aCategories were based on Z-score of WHO classification [40]. Two new categories were formed due to very few subjects (severely wasted merged with wasted category; overweight merged with obese category)
bOnly 260 subjects reported having internet access at home, but only 230 children were allowed online access by parents/ guardians