Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children
10:57

Determining Soil-transmitted Helminth Infection Status and Physical Fitness of School-aged Children

Published on: August 22, 2012

Determinants of stunting in school-aged children of tehran, iran

Fatemeh Esfarjani1, Roshanak Roustaee, Fatemeh Mohammadi

  • 1Department of Food and Nutrition Policy and Planning Research, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Pediatrics Department, Child Growth and Development Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences,Isfahan, Iran.

International Journal of Preventive Medicine
|April 2, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Childhood stunting in Iran is linked to birth weight, maternal age, and paternal height. Understanding these factors is crucial for developing effective public health interventions to improve child growth and development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Public Health
  • Growth Monitoring

Background:

  • Limited data exists on the factors associated with stunting in Iranian children.
  • Stunting is a significant public health concern with long-term implications for child development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the determinants of stunting in first-grade primary school children in Tehran.
  • To identify key factors influencing stunting prevalence in a specific Iranian pediatric population.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 3147 children from Tehran, Iran.
  • Stunting defined as height-for-age below the 5th percentile using CDC 2000 growth charts.
  • Data collected via questionnaires administered by trained nutritionists, with anthropometric measurements.

Main Results:

  • Stunting prevalence was 3.7% (4.4% in girls, 2.8% in boys).
  • Lower birth weight (<3000g) was associated with increased odds of stunting (OR: 0.25).
  • Higher maternal age (>35 years) and shorter paternal height (<160 cm) were significantly associated with stunting.

Conclusions:

  • Birth weight, maternal age, and paternal height are identified as major contributors to stunting in this cohort.
  • Findings can inform policy decisions for targeted interventions to reduce childhood stunting in Iran.
Abstract

Keywords:
Birth weightbreast feedingchildrenstunting

More Related Videos

Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil06:48

Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil

Published on: July 29, 2020

Related Concept Videos

Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...
Environmental Influences on Intelligence01:29

Environmental Influences on Intelligence

Despite the strong genetic influence on traits like intelligence, environmental factors significantly shape outcomes. For example, while over 90% of height variation is due to genetic differences, environmental factors such as nutrition also have a notable impact. Similarly, for intelligence, changes in a child's surroundings can significantly alter their IQ. Research shows that enriched environments boost children's academic success and help them develop key cognitive skills. Children from...
Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development01:30

Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development

Social-emotional experiences and cultural influences play significant roles in shaping gender development. During middle childhood, from ages 6 to 11, peer groups become dominant in reinforcing gender norms. Children in this age group often align with same-gender peer groups, which actively encourage behaviors that conform to traditional gender roles. For instance, boys may be discouraged from engaging in activities perceived as feminine, reinforcing culturally dictated norms about masculinity...
Regression Toward the Mean01:52

Regression Toward the Mean

Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when researchers try to extrapolate results...
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter more...