ISSN: 2222-6990
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The spread of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the Malaysian government taking the movement control order (MCO) measure. MCO which is a partial form of lockdown influences the dietary patterns of Malaysians because of the limited movement, impact on financial planning for the income-affected communities, and the effort to maintain a healthy diet to increase immunity to fight diseases. Thus, this study investigated the dietary patterns of Malaysians during the movement control order from three aspects, namely healthy eating, frugal eating, and selection of foods with a long shelf life. This survey research used a questionnaire to collect data. Questionnaires created on Google form were distributed through the social media, namely Facebook and WhatsApp. A total of 224 respondents participated in this study. Findings showed that the respondents agreed that MCO resulted in changes in their dietary patterns. Changes in the dietary patterns of Malaysians during MCO were at the moderately high level for all three aspects of dietary pattern studied. Findings also showed that women were more concerned about healthy eating compared to men while there were no differences in dietary patterns during MCO based on employment and people’s income. Hence, awareness toward nutritional education as well as preparedness in the face of pandemics need to be established among the people in Malaysia to maintain food security for the nation.
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In-Text Citation: (Abd Rahman, 2020)
To Cite this Article: Abd Rahman, N. (2020). Dietary Patterns of Malaysians During the Movement Control Order (Mco) During The Covid-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. 10(10), 97-109.
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