Socioeconomic disparities in physical activity, eating behaviour and body mass index among Malaysian primary school children: Implications for child well-being and social development

Socioeconomic disparities can influence children's opportunities to engage in healthy lifestyles through differences in family resources, living environments, access to recreational opportunities, and food related practices. Understanding these disparities is important for promoting equitable child health and sustainable social development. This study examined differences in physical activity, eating behaviour, and body mass index (BMI) among Malaysian primary school children according to family socioeconomic status (SES). A cross-sectional design was employed involving 91 primary school children aged 8–11 years from Jengka, Pahang, Malaysia. Physical activity was assessed using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C), while eating behaviour was evaluated using the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ). Anthropometric measurements were obtained to determine BMI. Participants were categorised according to family socioeconomic groups, namely B40, M40, and T20. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to examine differences in the study outcomes across socioeconomic groups. The findings demonstrated significant differences in physical activity (p = .044), eating behaviour (p = .006), and BMI (p = .015) across socioeconomic categories. Most participants demonstrated moderate-to-high levels of physical activity, although variations were observed between socioeconomic groups. These findings indicate that family socioeconomic circumstances are associated with differences in children's health-related behaviours and weight status. Addressing such disparities requires context-sensitive interventions involving families, schools, and communities to ensure that children from different socioeconomic backgrounds have equitable opportunities to adopt healthy lifestyles.