Key result
Malaysian urban girls show ~24% disordered eating prevalence and higher depression and stress than Indonesian girls.
Why the study?
Nutrition transition and globalization have affected diet and body composition across life stages, prompting a comparison of body weight status, psychological distress, disordered eating, and their associations in Indonesian and Malaysian urban female adolescents.
Cross-Sectional (n=713)
Yes
BMI-for-age z-score and psychological distress (especially stress) are significantly associated with disordered eating among urban female adolescents in Indonesia and Malaysia, suggesting interventions should incorporate psychological well-being.
Regional differences may warrant culturally sensitive screening; leaves open causal roles of stress and BMI in Asian adolescents.
Nutrition transition and globalization have affected the diet and body composition of all life stages including adolescents. This study aims to compare body weight status, psychological distress and disordered eating (DE), and to compare the association between BMI-for-age z-score (BAZ) and psychological distress with DE among Indonesian and Malaysian urban female adolescents. The adolescents’ weight and height were measured and a self-administered questionnaire was completed by each adolescent. A total of 713 girls (Indonesia = 47.8%, Malaysia = 52.2%), aged 12–19 years from Bekasi, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, participated in this study. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was not significantly different between Indonesian and Malaysian girls (18.2% vs 21.2%). Malaysian girls have a significantly higher prevalence of DE (23.9% vs 3.2%), depression (51.9% vs 26.1%), and stress (41.7% vs 29.6%) than Indonesian girls. However, the prevalence of anxiety in Indonesian girls was significantly higher compared to Malaysian girls (77.7% vs 66.4%). For Indonesian girls, BAZ and stress were significantly positive associated with DE, dieting, and bulimia and food preoccupation. For Malaysian girls, BAZ, anxiety and stress were significantly positive associated with DE. BAZ and stress were significantly positive associated with dieting. Depression and anxiety were significantly and positively associated with bulimia and food preoccupation. For both Indonesian and Malaysian girls, stress was significantly positive associated with oral control. Therefore, future intervention programme on promoting healthy eating among female adolescents should consider the psychological well-being component.
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Ishak et al. (2023) conducted a cross-sectional in Disordered eating and psychological distress (n=713). Country of residence (Malaysia vs Indonesia) vs. Indonesia was evaluated on Prevalence of disordered eating. Malaysian urban female adolescents had a significantly higher prevalence of disordered eating (23.9% vs 3.2%), depression, and stress than Indonesian girls.
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