Factors Associated with Stunting among Children under 5 Years in Five South Asian Countries (2014-2018): Analysis of Demographic Health Surveys

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 12; no. 12; p. 3875
• Main Authors: Wali, Nidhi, Agho, Kingsley E, Renzaho, Andre M N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 18.12.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Age; Age Factors; Bangladesh - epidemiology; Birth order; Births; Body Height; Breastfeeding & lactation; child undernutrition; Child, Preschool; Children; Children & youth; Childrens health; Clustering; Confidence Intervals; Datasets; Demographics; Diabetes; Educational Status; factors; Female; Growth Disorders - epidemiology; Growth Disorders - etiology; Growth Disorders - therapy; Health facilities; Health Surveys; Households; Humans; India - epidemiology; Indian Ocean Islands - epidemiology; Infant; Infant Nutrition Disorders - epidemiology; Infant Nutrition Disorders - etiology; Infant Nutrition Disorders - therapy; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Infant, Newborn; infants; Male; Marital Status; Maternal & child health; Mothers - education; Nepal - epidemiology; Nutrition; Nutrition research; Odds Ratio; Pakistan - epidemiology; Polls & surveys; Preschool children; Prevalence; Public health; Regression Analysis; Risk Factors; South Asia; Standard deviation; stunting; Undernutrition; Womens health; Indian Ocean Islands; Bangladesh; Pakistan; Nepal; India; South Asia; child undernutrition; infants; stunting; South Asia; factors
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu12123875

South Asia continues to be the global hub for child undernutrition with 35% of children still stunted in 2017. This paper aimed to identify factors associated with stunting among children aged 0-23 months, 24-59 months, and 0-59 months in South Asia. A weighted sample of 564,518 children aged 0-59 months from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (2014-2018) was combined of five countries in South Asia. Multiple logistic regression analyses that adjusted for clustering and sampling weights were used to examine associated factors. The common factors associated with stunting in three age groups were mothers with no schooling ([adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for 0-23 months = 1.65; 95% CI: (1.29, 2.13)]; [AOR for 24-59 months = AOR = 1.46; 95% CI: (1.27, 1. 69)] and [AOR for 0-59 months = AOR = 1.59; 95% CI: (1.34, 1. 88)]) and maternal short stature (height < 150 cm) ([AOR for 0-23 months = 2.00; 95% CI: (1.51, 2.65)]; [AOR for 24-59 months = 3.63; 95% CI: (2.87, 4.60)] and [AOR for 0-59 months = 2.87; 95% CI: (2.37, 3.48)]). Study findings suggest the need for a balanced and integrated nutrition strategy that incorporates nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions with an increased focus on interventions for children aged 24-59 months.