Subsistence agriculture and child growth in Papua New Guinea

Spatial statistical analyses of child anthropometric data were undertaken to assess the influence of systems of subsistence agriculture, in terms of staple foods and cash crops cultivated, on patterns of child growth in Papua New Guinea. These agricultural data explained between a quarter and half of the geographical variation in anthropometric growth indicators. Accounting for differences in altitude, relief and rainfall patterns, though explaining additional geographical variation, did not improve the predictions. Child growth was better in agriculture systems with cassava and sweet potato as staple crops, but worse in systems where banana, sago and taro were staple crops. Both the cultivation of all major cash crops, and sales of fish and food crops improved child growth. More intensive agricultural systems were associated with larger children indicating that the nutritional status of children benefited from intensification as well as from the introduction of cash crops into traditional subsistence systems.