Table 1.
Sociodemographic characteristics of pre-schoolers and their parents (n = 396)
| Variables | n (%) | Mean ± SD |
|---|---|---|
| Sex | ||
| Female | 196 (49.5) | |
| Male | 200 (50.5) | |
| Age (years) | 5.50 ± 0.62 | |
| 3 | 4 (1.0) | |
| 4 | 91 (23.0) | |
| 5 | 200 (50.5) | |
| 6 | 101 (25.5) | |
| Ethnicity | ||
| Malay | 307 (77.5) | |
| Chinese | 47 (11.9) | |
| Indian | 33 (8.3) | |
| Other | 9 (2.3) | |
| Birth order | ||
| 1 | 108 (27.3) | |
| 2 and above | 288 (72.7) | |
| Father’s age (years) (n = 376) | 37.87 ± 6.32 | |
| Mother’s age (years) (n = 376) | 34.80 ± 5.10 | |
| Father’s educational level (n = 380) | ||
| No formal education | 3 (0.8) | |
| Primary education | 23 (6.0) | |
| Secondary education | 250 (65.8) | |
| Certificate/Diploma/A-level | 86 (22.6) | |
| Tertiary education | 18 (4.8) | |
| Mother’s educational level (n = 393) | ||
| No formal education | 5 (1.3) | |
| Primary education | 18 (4.6) | |
| Secondary education | 269 (68.4) | |
| Certificate/Diploma/A-level | 79 (20.1) | |
| Tertiary education | 22 (5.6) | |
| Marital status | ||
| Single/Divorced/Separated/Widowed | 24 (6.1) | |
| Married | 372 (93.9) | |
| Monthly household incomea (n = 392) | ||
| Below MYR4000 | 343 (87.5) | |
| MYR4000 and above | 49 (12.5) | |
aMinistry of Economic Affairs [33]; MYR = Ringgit Malaysia; USD 1 = MYR 4.09 as on 31 January 2020