Related Experiment Videos
Nutritional problems in children aged 1-24 months: comparison of hill-tribe and Thai children
R Panpanich1, K Vitsupakorn, S Chareonporn
1Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand.
Insights
Young hill-tribe children in Maecham district face more severe malnutrition and stunting than Thai children, particularly after weaning. This highlights the need for targeted health and nutrition programs for these ethnic minority groups.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Public Health
- Cross-sectional Studies
Background:
- High prevalence of breastfeeding in Maecham district, Chiang Mai.
- Nutritional status assessment in children aged 1-24 months is crucial.
- Understanding disparities between hill-tribe and Thai communities.
Purpose of the Study:
- Determine the prevalence of nutritional problems in young children (1-24 months).
- Compare nutritional status between hill-tribe (Karen, Lahu) and Thai children.
- Identify factors contributing to nutritional issues in ethnic minority populations.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional survey in Maecham district.
- Recruited 359 children (252 hill-tribe, 107 Thai).
- Collected anthropometric measurements and conducted maternal interviews.
Main Results:
- Hill-tribe children showed significantly higher malnutrition (25.0%) and stunting (25.4%) than Thai children (12.1%, p <0.01).
- Malnutrition peaked between 12-24 months, coinciding with weaning.
- No significant difference in wasting between groups; mean Z-scores declined with age.
Conclusions:
- Young hill-tribe children exhibit more severe nutritional problems than Thai children.
- Socioeconomic status, genetics, and cultural beliefs may influence these disparities.
- Ethnic minorities require tailored health and nutrition promotion programs.
Abstract:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Maecham district, Chiang Mai. The objective was to determine the magnitude of nutritional problems in children aged 1-24 months, both of hill-tribe and Thai communities, where breast-feeding is highly prevalent. Three hundred and fifty nine children were recruited, 252 were hill-tribe (Karen and Lahu), and 107 were Thai children. Anthropometric measurements were taken and mothers were interviewed. In a group of hill-tribe children, the prevalence of malnutrition (Z score of weight for age < -2) was 25.0 compared with 12.1 per cent for Thai children (p <0.01). The prevalence was highest in children aged between 12-24 months. This corresponded to the time children were weaned. The prevalence of stunting (Z score of height for age < -2) in hill-tribe and Thai children was 25.4 and 12.1 per cent respectively (p <0.01). There was no significant difference of wasting (Z score of weight for height < -2) between hill-tribe and Thai children, 9.1 and 8.4 per cent respectively. The mean (SD) Z scores of weight for age, weight for height, and height for age for both groups declined significantly as the age increased (p <0.001). In conclusion, this study revealed the nutritional problems of young hill-tribe children were more severe than those of Thai children. The factors that could be related with this, were socioeconomic status, as also genetics, as well as cultural beliefs concerning child raising. Such ethnic minorities therefore should be considered as special cases in programs of health and nutrition promotion.