Risk Factors Associated with Severe Underweight among Young Children Reporting to a Diarrhoea Treatment Facility in Bangladesh.
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Date
2010-10
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Abstract
Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is a serious health problem among young children in Bangladesh. PEM
increases childhood morbidity and mortality. Information is needed on the major risk factors for PEM to
assist with the design and targeting of appropriate prevention programmes. To compare the underlying
characteristics of children, aged 6-24 months, with or without severe underweight, reporting to the Dhaka
Hospital of ICDDR,B in Bangladesh, a case-control study was conducted among 507 children with weightfor-
age z-score (WAZ) <-3 and 500 comparison children from the same communities with WAZ >-2.5. There
were no significant differences between the groups in age [overall mean±standard deviation (SD) 12.6±4.1
months] or sex ratio (44% girls), area of residence, or year of enrollment. Results of logistic regression analysis
revealed that severely-underweight children were more likely to have: undernourished mothers [body
mass index (BMI) <18.5, adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=3.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.6-5.4] who were
aged <19 years (AOR=3.0, 95% CI 1.9-4.8) and completed <5 years of education (AOR=2.7, 95% CI 1.9-3.8),
had a history of shorter duration of predominant breastfeeding (<4 months, AOR=2.3, 95% CI 1.6-3.3), discontinued
breastfeeding (AOR=2.0, 95% CI 1.1-3.5), and had higher birth-order (>3 AOR=1.8, 95% CI 1.2-
2.7); and fathers who were rickshaw-pullers or unskilled day-labourers (AOR=4.4; 95% CI 3.1-6.1) and completed
<5 years of education (AOR=1.5; 95% CI 1.1-2.2), came from poorer families (monthly income of Tk
<5,000, AOR=2.7, 95% CI 1.9-3.8). Parental education, economic and nutritional characteristics, child-feeding
practices, and birth-order were important risk factors for severe underweight in this population, and
these characteristics can be used for designing and targeting preventive intervention programmes.
Description
Keywords
Body-weight, Case-control studies, Child, Child nutritional status, Infant, Infant nutritional status, Risk factors, Thinness, Bangladesh
Citation
Nahar Baitun, Ahmed Tahmeed, Brown Kenneth H, Hossain Md Iqbal. Risk Factors Associated with Severe Underweight among Young Children Reporting to a Diarrhoea Treatment Facility in Bangladesh. Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition. 2010 Oct; 28(5): 476-483.