[Study on the nutritional status and determinants among rural stranded children in China]

To explore the nutritional status and determinants among rural stranded children under 7 years of age.

The group of stranded children (n=7585) and the children for control (n=7557) were identified by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling. The ascertainment methods mainly included questionnaire, anthropometric measurements and laboratory examination.

In this study, there were three groups, including the group of stranded children whose single parent left home to look for better job somewhere, the group of stranded children whose parent both left home and the third group serving as control. Prevalent rates on the following items were: stunting--14.9%, 17.9% and 16.3%, underweight--7.2%, 8.3% and 7.6%, wasting--3.1%, 3.4% and 3.3% and anemia--18.9%,20.6%, 18.7% respectively. The prevalent rate of stunting in the group of children with both parents away from home was significantly higher than that those with only one parent did. The prevalence rate of anemia in the group with both parents away from home was significantly higher than that in the control group. Based on multivariate non-conditional logistic regression analysis, the determinants of stunting among the stranded children were: age, with low birth weight, living alone, being the only child in the family, mother's education level, frequency of eating breakfast and snacks every week, motives of caretakers and the relationship between children and the caretakers. The determinants of underweight among those stranded children were: age of child, with low birth weight, the frequency of eating snacks every week, motives of the caretakers and having rickets.

The nutritional status among rural stranded children was relatively poor, especially in those whose parents were both away from home, which calls for urgent improvement.