A Descriptive Study on the Knowledge and Perception of Parent towards their Children’s Dietary Behavior

Abstract

Introduction: In Malaysia 12.7 percent of children (5–19 years old) are obese and the most recent statement from the World Health Organization in 2021 indicates that approximately 38.2 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2019 (Wang et al., 2022). Parenting practices being a good role model and using moderate restrictions, significantly impact children's dietary behaviors.
Aims: The study aims to assess parental general nutrition knowledge and perception of dietary behavior among their children. The study also aims to determine the association between parental nutrition knowledge, feeding styles, and socio-demographic data.
Methods: The quantitative descriptive study design with simple random sampling was used, and it involved 390 respondents among parents. The parent’s general nutrition knowledge and perception were assessed using a General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire.
Results: The results revealed that a significant portion of respondents (67.9%) demonstrated an intermediate level of general nutrition knowledge, indicating a moderate understanding of nutrition concepts. Another notable proportion (27.7%) scored higher marks, indicating a higher level of nutrition knowledge associated with healthier eating habits and lifestyle choices. However, a small percentage (4.4%) scored lower marks, suggesting a limited understanding of general nutrition knowledge.
Conclusions: Parent nutrition knowledge perception is crucial in shaping children's dietary behavior. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of parents' understanding of nutrition concepts and their ability to translate that knowledge into healthy feeding practices.