The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam: insights from the SEANUTS II study.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam: insights from the SEANUTS II study.

Publication date: Dec 20, 2024

To describe the economic, lifestyle and nutritional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents, guardians and children in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Data from the SEANUTS II cohort were used. Questionnaires, including a COVID-19 questionnaire, were used to study the impact of the pandemic on parents/guardians and their children with respect to work status, household expenditures and children’s dietary intake and lifestyle behaviours. Data were collected in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam between May 2019 and April 2021. In total, 9203 children, aged 0.5-12.9 years, including their parents/guardians. Children and their families were significantly affected by the pandemic. Although the impact of lockdown measures on children’s food intake has been relatively mild in all countries, food security was negatively impacted, especially in Indonesia. Surprisingly, in Malaysia, lockdown resulted in overall healthier dietary patterns with more basic food groups and less discretionary foods. Consumption of milk/dairy products, however, decreased. In the other countries, intake of most food groups did not change much during lockdown for households based on self-reporting. Only in rural Thailand, some marginal decreases in food intakes during lockdown persisted after lockdown. Physical activity of children, monthly household income and job security of the parents/guardians were negatively affected in all countries due to the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted societies in South-East Asia. To counteract negative effects, economic measures should be combined with strategies to promote physical activity and eating nutrient-adequate diets to increase resilience of the population.

Concepts Keywords
Dairy Adult
Monthly Child
Pandemic Child, Preschool
Parents Children
Thailand Cohort Studies
COVID-19
COVID-19
Diet
Exercise
Female
Food Security
Health and lifestyle
Humans
Indonesia
Infant
Life Style
Lockdown
Malaysia
Male
Malnutrition
Pandemics
Parents
SARS-CoV-2
Survey
Surveys and Questionnaires
Thailand
Vietnam

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH COVID-19 pandemic
disease MESH lifestyle
disease MESH Malnutrition

Original Article

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