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) |  |