Table 1 General characteristics of children who participated in the study (n = 340)
Characteristics | Orang Asli | Malay | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |
No. of participants | 165 (48.5) | 175 (51.5) | 340 (100.0) |
Age groups (years) | |||
  ≤ 5 | 51 (30.9) | 45 (25.7) | 96 (28.2) |
 6–10 | 64 (38.8) | 81 (46.3) | 145 (42.6) |
  > 10 | 50 (30.3) | 49 (28.0) | 99 (29.2) |
Gender | |||
 Boys | 88 (53.3) | 76 (43.4) | 164 (48.2) |
 Girls | 77 (46.7) | 99 (56.6) | 176 (51.8) |
Socioeconomic status | |||
Father’s education level | |||
 Never went to school | 84 (50.9) | 4 (2.3) | 88 (25.9) |
 Primary education | 63 (38.2) | 72 (41.1) | 135 (39.7) |
 Secondary education | 18 (10.9) | 99 (56.6) | 117 (34.4) |
Mother’s education level | |||
 Never went to school | 69 (41.8) | 3 (1.7) | 72 (21.2) |
 Primary education | 82 (49.7) | 93 (53.1) | 175 (51.5) |
 Secondary education | 14 (8.5) | 79 (45.1) | 93 (27.4) |
Low monthly household income (< RM500) | 106 (64.2) | 34 (19.4) | 140 (41.2) |
 Working fathers | 39 (23.6) | 135 (77.1) | 174 (51.2) |
 Working mothers | 29 (17.6) | 41 (23.4) | 70 (20.6) |
Large family size (≥7 members) | 58 (35.2) | 89 (50.9) | 147 (43.2) |
Piped water supply | 91 (55.2) | 175 (100.0) | 266 (78.2) |
Electricity | 83 (50.3) | 175 (100.0) | 258 (75.9) |
Presence of toilet in house | 36 (21.8) | 175 (100.0) | 211 (62.1) |