Risk factors for undernutrition among children 0–59 months of age in Myanmar

The prevalence of childhood stunting in Myanmar is one of the highest among the countries of Southeast Asia. Cross‐sectional data from the Myanmar Demographic Health Survey 2015–2016 were used to examine risk factors for stunting, wasting, and underweight among children aged 0–59 months. The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight was 29.0%, 7.3%, and 19.2%, respectively. Accounting for sampling design and weights, multivariable logistic regression was conducted with 35 household, maternal, and child characteristics. Current pregnancy and maternal height <145 cm, home delivery, child's small birth size recalled by mother, and older age (ref: 0–5 months) predicted both stunting and underweight. Larger than average birth size was protective for all stunting, wasting, and underweight. Maternal body mass index <18.5 kg m^?2 was a common risk factor for wasting and underweight. Lower wealth quintiles, maternal engagement in nonagricultural occupation, and male child predicted stunting only. Younger child age and not receiving vitamin A supplementation in the previous 6 months were risk factors for wasting only. Regional variation was also seen, with a higher odds of stunting in the West‐South Region, North‐East States, and West States, compared with the Central Regions. In Myanmar, socio‐economic and demographic factors, poor maternal nutritional status, and living in certain geographical locations are affecting children's undernutrition. It is recommended that interventions for growth faltering focus on the first 1,000 days of life; optimum maternal nutrition be ensured during and before pregnancy and at adolescence; societal support be provided for mothers in poverty or engaged in nonagriculture; and region‐specific undernutrition pathways be understood.     

Prevalence and trends of obesity in children and adults of South Europe

Obesity is an epidemic phenomenon in both developed and developing societies. In the majority of South European countries, obesity prevalence is high among children and adolescents while, in adults, epidemic proportions are found in Greece, Portugal and the Southern areas of Spain and Italy, with particular prevalence of abdominal obesity. Secular trends also show increasing rates during the last 20 years mostly among young children and among males in adulthood. In some countries such as Spain and Greece, nutrition transition contributed largely to the increase of obesity prevalence. Other particular predisposing factors are sedentary behaviours, variations of socio-economic status and probably the warm climate. Genetic factors could also play a role. Preventive and treatment strategies are urgently needed to stop the obesity epidemic in children of Southern European countries.     

Nutritional status disorders prevalence rates in a sample of pediatric oncology Day Hospital patients]

BACKGROUND: Nutritional status is more important in children than in adults because it is necessary to support normal growth and development. In industrialized countries the prevalence of nutritional status disorders in the pediatric population are as follows: 35-40% of children are overweight/obese, while the underweight status disappeared in some reports or, when it is present, it is associated with other diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence rates of nutritional status disorders among an unselected sample of Pediatric Oncology Day Hospital patients. METHODS: Anthropometric parameters of weight and height have been measured in patients affected with solid tumor either on-therapy or off-therapy (0-24 mo). Then Real Body Weight (% RBW) was estimated referring to National Center for Health Statistic percentiles. The sample was then divided into 4 weight classes (under-weight, normal-weight, over-weight and obese) according to % RBW. RESULTS: Overweight patients (overweight + obese) were 44.4%, and 13.9% underweight. Dividing the patients according to whether they are on-therapy or off-therapy, the prevalence of overweight was 36.9% in the former group and 52.9% in the latter, and the underweight prevalence was 26.3 vs 0%. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary data show that in this sample of patients on treatment obesity and overweight are present in a similar percentage of the healthy population, but underweight status prevalence is 26.3%. In the sample of patients off-therapy the underweight status disappeared while the overweight status increased. These data suggest that nutritional assessment in oncologic patients is required in order to provide nutritional strategies.     

Pediatric diabetes care in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh: Reaching the community

Diabetes is a major non‐communicable disease with long‐term complications. Over one million children and adolescents are affected with type 1 diabetes in the world. The number of children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes is also on the rise due to the increase incidence of childhood diabetes. South East Asian (SEA) contributes 184 100 children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes under the age of 20 years for this global health issue as at 2019. Countries of SEA region share same socio demographic, cultural, and economic challenges when it comes to holistic care of affected children. It is timely to discuss common concerns of these countries to give the best possible care for children affected with diabetes to minimize the burden of diabetes related complications, which would potentially affect the socioeconomic development of the respective countries.     

Prevalence of undernutrition in Santal children of Puruliya district, West Bengal

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of undernutrition among the Santal children of Puruliya district of West Bengal. 442 Santal children (216 boys and 226 girls) aged 5-12 years were taken from randomly selected schools of Balarampur and Baghmundi areas of Puruliya. Nutritional status was analyzed by Z-score values according to the height for age, weight for age and weight for height reference data of National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The prevalence of undernutrition among Santal children was as follows: stunting (17.9%), underweight (33.7%) and wasting (29.4%). Severe (below -3 Z-score) stunting, underweight and wasting were found in 4.98%, 7.92% and 9.51% of Santal children, respectively. In girls, prevalence of stunting (21.7%) and wasting (35.8%) was higher in comparison to boys (13.8% stunting and 22.7% wasting).     

Rise in childhood obesity with persistently high rates of undernutrition among urban school-aged Indo-Asian children.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is an emerging global public health challenge. Evidence for the transition in nutrition in Indo-Asian developing countries is lacking. We conducted these analyses to determine the trends in nutritional status of school-aged children in urban Pakistan. METHODS: Data on the nutritional status of children aged 5 to 14 years from two independent population-based representative surveys, the urban component of the National Health Survey of Pakistan (NHSP; 1990-1994) and the Karachi survey (2004-2005), were analysed. Using normative data from children in the United States as the reference, trends for age- and gender-standardised prevalence (95% CI) of underweight (more than 2 SD below the weight-for-age reference), stunted (more than 2 SD below the height-for-age reference) and overweight and obese (body mass index (BMI) 85(th) percentile or greater) children were compared for the two surveys. The association between physical activity and being overweight or obese was analysed in the Karachi survey using logistical regression analysis. RESULTS: 2074 children were included in the urban NHSP and 1675 in the Karachi survey. The prevalence of underweight children was 29.7% versus 27.3% (p = 0.12), stunting was 16.7% versus 14.3% (p = 0.05), and prevalence of overweight and obese children was 3.0 versus 5.7 (p<0.001) in the NHSP and Karachi surveys, respectively. Physical activity was inversely correlated with being overweight or obese (odds ratio, 95% CI, 0.51, 0.32-0.80 for those who engaged in more than 30 minutes of physical activity versus those engaged in less than 30 minutes' activity). CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the challenge faced by Pakistani school-aged children. There has been a rapid rise in the number of overweight and obese children despite a persistently high burden of undernutrition. Focus on prevention of obesity in children must include strategies for promoting physical activity.     

Prevalence of undernutrition among Kora-Mudi children aged 2–13 years in Paschim Medinipur District,West Bengal,India

Background  

Nutritional status of tribal children in West Bengal has not been investigated adequately. The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting in Kora-Mudi children of Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, India.     

Trends of underweight,overweight, and obesity in Brazilian children and adolescents

ObjectiveTo describe and analyze the trends of occurrence of underweight, overweight, and obesity in schoolchildren.MethodsThis was a longitudinal study of trends conducted in a voluntary sample of Brazilian children and adolescents. The sample was grouped by year of collection (period I: 2005 and 2006; period II: 2007 and 2008, and period III: 2009-2011), age category (children: 7 to 10 years, and adolescents: 11 to 14 years), and stratified by gender. The body mass index was used to classify the nutritional profile. Trend analysis was verified using multinomial logistic regression (p < 0.05).ResultsMean occurrences were 2.11% for underweight, 22.27% for overweight, and 6.8% for obesity. There was a decrease of underweight in male adolescents from period I to II, as well as an increase in female children from period II to III. Regarding overweight, there was an increase followed by a decrease in male children. Regarding obesity, there was an increase from period I to II in all age groups and for both genders.ConclusionThe prevalence of underweight was less than 5% in all categories of age and gender. However, the categories of overweight and obesity showed higher values, and together comprised almost 30% of the young Brazilian population; moreover, a trend toward increase in prevalence of obesity was observed up to the year 2008, followed by the maintenance of these high prevalence rates.     

Overweight and obesity prevalence in children and adolescents from a private school in Recife

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in students from a private school in Recife; compare the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in boys and girls and in different age groups (children and adolescents) and verify the correlation between body mass index and triceps skinfold thickness in this population. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with 762 students (332 children and 430 adolescents) from a middle/upper class school in Recife, in 1999. Overweight was defined as body mass index equal or above the 85th percentile for age and gender. Obesity was defined as body mass index and triceps skinfold thickness equal or above the 85th percentile. RESULTS: The prevalence rates were 26.2% (95%CI = 23 to 29%) for overweight, and 8.5% (CI95% = 6.5 to 10.5%) for obesity. Overweight was more prevalent among children (34.3%) than among adolescents (20.0%) (P<0.001). Obesity was more frequent among children (14.2%) than among adolescents (4.2%) (P<0.001). The prevalence of overweight in boys (34.6%) was higher than in girls (20.6%) (P<0.001). The prevalence of obesity was also higher in boys (14.7%) than in girls (4.4%) (P<0.001). The correlation coefficient between body mass index and triceps skinfold thickness was equal to 0.64 (95%CI = 0.60 to 0.68). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of overweight in our study population was as high as that found in industrialized countries; obesity, however, was less frequent.     

Global summary of maternal and newborn vitamin D status – a systematic review

Pregnant women and newborns are at increased risk of vitamin D deficiency. Our objective was to create a global summary of maternal and newborn vitamin D status. We completed a systematic review (1959–2014) and meta‐analysis of studies reporting serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration in maternal and newborn populations. The 95 identified studies were unevenly distributed by World Health Organization (WHO) region: Americas (24), European (33), Eastern Mediterranean (13), South‐East Asian (7), Western Pacific (16) and African (2). Average maternal 25(OH)D concentrations (nmol L^?1) by region were 47–65 (Americas), 15–72 (European), 13–60 (Eastern Mediterranean), 20–52 (South‐East Asian), 42–72 (Western Pacific) and 92 (African). Average newborn 25(OH)D concentrations (nmol L^?1) were 35–77 (Americas), 20–50 (European), 5–50 (Eastern Mediterranean), 20–22 (South‐East Asian), 32–67 (Western Pacific) and 27–35 (African). The prevalences of 25(OH)D <50 and <25 nmol L^?1 by WHO region in pregnant women were: Americas (64%, 9%), European (57%, 23%), Eastern Mediterranean (46%, 79%), South‐East Asian (87%, not available) and Western Pacific (83%, 13%). Among newborns these values were: Americas (30%, 14%), European (73%, 39%), Eastern Mediterranean (60%, not available), South‐East Asian (96%, 45%) and Western Pacific (54%, 14%). By global region, average 25(OH)D concentration varies threefold in pregnant women and newborns, and prevalence of 25(OH)D <25 nmol L^?1 varies eightfold in pregnant women and threefold in newborns. Maternal and newborn 25(OH)D concentrations are highly correlated. Addressing vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and newborns should be a global priority. To protect children from the adverse effects of vitamin D deficiency requires appropriate interventions during both pregnancy and childhood.     

Excess of weight,but not underweight,is associated with poor physical fitness in children and adolescents from Castilla-La Mancha,Spain

We estimated the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity of children and adolescents from Castilla-La Mancha region (Spain), applying the new International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) 2012 criteria, and analysed differences in physical fitness components in relation to weight status. The sample was 2,330 schoolchildren aged 6–17 years. We measured height and weight, calculated body mass index (BMI) and assessed physical fitness using four tests included in the EUROFIT battery. Differences in physical fitness components across BMI categories, by sex, were calculated using ANOVA models. In children aged 6–11 years, 4.9 % were underweight, 26.7 % overweight and 11.0 % obese; in adolescents aged 12–17 years, 6.4 % were underweight, 16.7 % overweight and 5.8 % obese. Overall, overweight and obesity were associated with worse physical fitness but students in the underweight category did not score worse than their normal weight counterparts on fitness tests. Conclusion: Childhood obesity in Spain remains a public health problem. Our results show low physical fitness levels in overweight/obese children and adolescents and low levels of handgrip strength in underweight adolescents compared with normal weight subjects. Exercise programmes must be tailored to the specific needs of the subjects according to the different weight status.     

Trends in anthropometric measurements among Mescalero Apache Indian preschool children. 1968 through 1988.

OBJECTIVE--To determine if there were trends in underweight, short stature, and obesity among 1- through 5-year-old Mescalero (NM) Apache Indian children from 1968 through 1988. DESIGN--Cross-sectional review of hospital clinic charts for five cohorts. SETTING--General pediatric outpatient clinic at the Mescalero Indian Health Service Hospital. PARTICIPANTS--Sixty-nine patients aged 1 through 5 years in 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, or 1988 for whom weight and height were recorded during a well-child visit that occurred in the respective year. SELECTION PROCEDURES--Approximately half the charts were screened for eligibility through systematic sampling for all years except 1988; for 1988 all available charts were screened for eligibility for the study. INTERVENTIONS--None. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS--We found trends of decreasing prevalence of both underweight (defined as weight-for-height below the fifth percentile) and short stature (defined as height-for-age below the fifth percentile) based on the Centers for Disease Control/World Health Organization growth reference. We found no secular trends in obesity (weight-for-height above the 95th percentile), although the prevalences throughout the 21-year period were as much as two to four times higher than expected when compared with the Centers for Disease Control/World Health Organization reference. There has been an upward shift in both weight-for-height and height-for-age distributions since 1968, indicating that Mescalero children today are, on average, heavier and taller. CONCLUSIONS--Underweight and short stature decreased among Mescalero preschool children from 1968 through 1988, suggesting nutritional improvements. However, given the current high prevalence of obesity, it is recommended that surveillance of nutritional status be continued and appropriate interventions be developed to treat and prevent obesity in this population.     

Increasing prevalence of domiciliary ventilation: changes in service demand and provision in the South West of the UK

We examine the incidence and prevalence of domiciliary ventilation in the South West region of the UK, assess trends over 15 years, and describe patient outcome. We conducted a retrospective review of all patients below 18 years receiving domiciliary ventilation in the South West region of the UK between January 1994 and August 2009. Children who received long-term ventilation solely in hospital were excluded from the study. Information was obtained from a locally held database, medical notes, and hospital administration systems. One hundred-six patients were identified. Prevalence has increased since 1994 from 0.2 to 6.7 per 100,000 children. The incidence of both invasive and non-invasive ventilations has increased with a trend towards more non-invasive therapy. The commonest underlying disorders were airway pathology (37 patients), neuromuscular disease (34 patients), and central congenital hypoventilation disorder (17 patients). Sixty-seven patients had significant co-morbidities. Of 38 non-current patients, 19 were transferred to adult ventilation services, 11 died, and 6 were successfully weaned from ventilatory support. In conclusion, there has been a 30-fold increase in the prevalence of paediatric domiciliary ventilation, in the South West region of the UK, since 1994. Co-morbidities are common. Very few children discontinue long-term ventilation, and increasing numbers of ventilated children are transferred to adult services.     

Ethnic differences in metabolic syndrome among overweight and obese children and adolescents: the Oslo Adiposity Intervention Study

Aim: Are there differences in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome between obese and overweight Norwegian and immigrant children and adolescents? Methods: Two hundred and three overweight and obese Norwegian, Pakistani, Tamil and Turkish patients aged 6–17 years living in Norway were included. Metabolic syndrome was defined as the presence of at least three abnormal values of waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting triglycerides, fasting glucose and HDL cholesterol. Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly higher among the immigrant compared to Norwegian subjects when adjusted for age, gender and BMI‐Z‐score (20.8 vs. 30.6%; OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.05–4.77). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome increased with increasing severity of obesity and reached 50% in severely obese immigrants and 30% in severely obese Norwegians. Among the overweight subjects metabolic syndrome prevalence was 23.5% among immigrants and 19.4% among Norwegians. Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome was found more frequently among children and adolescents with Middle Eastern and South Asian origins than Norwegians. Differences were found even after adjustment for age, sex and degree of obesity. This suggests that ethnic minorities may have an increased sensitivity to adiposity and need more aggressive prevention and treatment than their Norwegian counterparts.     

Prevalence and predictors of underweight, stunting, and wasting among children aged 5 and under in western Kenya

The health and nutritional status of children aged 5 and under was assessed in three villages in Siaya District of western Kenya. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 121 adults and 175 children during July 2002. Primary caretakers were interviewed during home visits to assess agricultural and sanitation resources, child feeding practices, and the nutritional status of their children aged 5 years and under. Through anthropometry, the prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting were determined: 30 per cent were underweight, 47 per cent were stunted, and 7 per cent were wasted. Predictors of undernutrition were analysed using logistic regression controlling for age, sex, and SES, and four major findings emerged. First, children in their second year of life were more likely to be underweight and stunted. Second, children who were introduced to foods early had an increased risk of being underweight. Third, up-to-date vaccinations were protective against stunting, while reports of having upper respiratory infections or other illness in the past month predicted underweight. Finally, living with non-biological parents significantly increased risk of stunting. Emphasis should be placed on current immunization, prolonging exclusive breastfeeding, and improving access to nutrient-rich foods among adopted children and their families via community-based nutrition interventions.     

Cardiovascular risk factors,diet and lifestyle among European,South Asian and Chinese adolescents in Canada

OBJECTIVE:

The authors previously reported that adult South Asian immigrants to Canada have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to their European and Chinese counterparts. It is unknown whether these ethnic differences also exist among adolescents, and whether they are related to diet and lifestyle. The objective of the present study was to assess the prevalence of CVD risk factors among apparently healthy adolescents in the three largest ethnic population groups in Canada (European, South Asian and Chinese).

METHODS:

A cross-sectional study among secondary school students in the Greater Toronto Area was undertaken. A total of 203 adolescents from 62 GTA secondary schools were recruited (48% Europeans, 35% Chinese and 18% South Asians) with a mean age of 17.3±1 years; 72% were female.

RESULTS:

Similar to adults, South Asian adolescents have increased rates of CVD risk factors compared with their European and Chinese peers, including higher prevalence of low high-density lipoprotein levels (P=0.001), high triglycerides (P=0.006) and high triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein levels (P<0.001), despite no significant differences in dietary intake among the ethnic groups. European adolescents had higher rates of self-reported intensity of physical activity (P=0.002) than their Chinese or South Asian peers.

CONCLUSIONS:

Similar to adult data, South Asian adolescents have comparably higher rates of CVD risk factors compared with their European or Chinese peers, which could partly be attributed to lower physical activity in South Asian adolescents. Whether the findings in these selected samples of healthy adolescents can be generalized to their respective populations requires further validation.     

Prevalence and determinants of undernutrition and its trends among pre-school tribal children of Maharashtra State, India

A community-based cross-sectional study carried out in tribal areas of Maharashtra covering 1751 pre-school children to assess nutritional status. Nutritional status was assessed using new WHO Growth Standards. Household wealth index was constructed using principle component analysis. The prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was 64, 61 and 29%, respectively. There was a significant (p?相似文献   

Determinants of maternal low mid‐upper arm circumference and its association with child nutritional status among poor and very poor households in rural Bangladesh

Malnutrition among women is a long‐standing public health concern that has significant adverse consequences on the survival and healthy development of children. Maternal mid‐upper arm circumference (MUAC) could potentially represent a simpler alternative to traditional nutritional indicators. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with low maternal MUAC (as an indicator of being underweight) and address the research question of whether maternal MUAC is significantly associated with children''s nutritional status among poor and very poor households in rural Bangladesh. Data on 5,069 households were extracted from the Suchana programme baseline survey, which was carried out in 80 randomly selected unions (the lowest administrative unit of Bangladesh) in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts between November 2016 and February 2017. The outcome variables were three child nutritional status indicators: wasting, stunting and underweight. Mothers were classified as underweight if their MUAC was less than 23 cm. Separate multiple logistic regression analyses were used to determine the factors potentially associated with maternal underweight status and explore whether maternal underweight status is significantly associated with children''s nutritional status. The prevalence of maternal underweight status was 46.7%, and the prevalence of wasting, stunting and underweight among children under two were 10.5%, 44.4% and 31.9%, respectively. After controlling for various socio‐economic and demographic characteristics, maternal MUAC was significantly associated with children''s nutritional status in rural Bangladesh.     

Newly developed WHO growth standards: Implications for demographic surveys and child health programs

Objective To compare estimates of undernutrition based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards (‘WHO standards’) and the National Center for Health Statistics NCHS/WHO international growth reference (‘NCHS reference’), and discuss implications for child health programs and reporting of prevalence of underweight in demographic surveys. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in 20 Anganwadi centers under Primary Health Centre, Anji. Total of 1491 under-six year children attending the Anganwadi centers were studied for nutritional status. Nutritional status was analyzed by NCHS standards by using EPI_INFO 6.04 software package and also by newly introduced WHO Child Growth Standards by Anthro 2005 software package. Chi-square test was used to compare the results. Results According to WHO standards, the prevalence of underweight and severe underweight for children 0–6 year was 47.4% and 16.9% respectively. By NCHS reference, the overall prevalence of underweight and severe underweight for children 0–6 years was 53% and 15% respectively. The prevalence of underweight as assessed by WHO standards was significantly lower when compared with the assessment based on NCHS reference (p<0.01). But, WHO standards gave higher prevalence of severe underweight than NCHS reference though the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion In the light of newly developed WHO Child growth standards, all the nutrition-related indicators in demographic surveys like NFHS should now be derived using the WHO standards. There is need to reanalyze NFHS-I and NFHS-II data using WHO standards and findings should be made available so that it becomes comparable and trends over the years can be studied.     

Persisting malnutrition in Chandigarh: Decadal underweight trends and impact of ICDS program

Decline in malnutrition levels has been dismal since the 1990s. We ascertained decadal trend in childhood nutritional status between 1997 and 2007 in Chandigarh, India and assessed impact of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) on childhood undernutrition. A total of 803 under-five children, 547 children between 12–23 months age, and 218 women with an infant child were recruited for the study. Findings of present study were compared with another methodologically similar study (1997) from Chandigarh and Reproductive and Child Health Rapid Household Survey (1998) to draw decadal trends. Prevalence of underweight among under-five children remained almost stagnant in the last one decade from 51.6% (1997) to 50.4% (2007). There was insignificant difference (P=0.3) in prevalence of underweight among children registered under ICDS program (52.1%) and those not registered (48.4%) in 2007. Other health and service provision indicators had mixed results in the past decade. Health services utilization was poorest in urban slums.