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Growth faltering in childhood related to diarrhea: a longitudinal community based study

A M O Assis1, M L Barreto, L M P Santos

  • 1School of Nutrition, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. amos@ufba.br

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|August 4, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Diarrhea significantly impacts preschool children's growth, leading to decreased height-for-age Z-scores. Reducing diarrhea incidence is crucial for improving child development and preventing stunting.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Global Health
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Childhood growth is influenced by various health factors.
  • Diarrhea and acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI) are common childhood illnesses.
  • Understanding their impact on growth is vital for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the association between diarrhea and ALRI and the growth of preschool children.
  • To determine the impact of illness duration on anthropometric measurements.

Main Methods:

  • A 12-month longitudinal community-based study in Northeast Brazil.
  • Follow-up of 487 children aged 6-48 months with thrice-weekly morbidity data collection.
  • Generalized estimating equation analysis of weight-for-age and height-for-age Z-scores.

Main Results:

  • No association found between sick days and weight-for-age Z-scores.
  • Seven or more days of diarrhea correlated with decreased height-for-age Z-scores (beta=-0.0472; P=0.016).
  • ALRI showed no significant association with height-for-age Z-scores.

Conclusions:

  • Diarrhea burden is a significant determinant of poor growth in children under 5.
  • Interventions targeting diarrhea risk factors are essential for promoting child growth.
  • Public health strategies should prioritize reducing diarrhea to ensure adequate child development.
Abstract

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