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Nutritional status and childhood wheezing in rural Bangladesh

Mohammad Delwer Hossain Hawlader1, Emiko Noguchi2, Shams El Arifeen3

  • 11Department of Clinical Trial and Clinical Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine,University of Tsukuba,Tsukuba,Japan.

Public Health Nutrition
|May 18, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Childhood stunting is a significant risk factor for wheezing in rural Bangladesh. This study highlights the link between poor nutritional status and respiratory symptoms in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
  • Global Child Health
  • Nutritional Epidemiology

Background:

  • Wheezing in preschool children is a common respiratory symptom with various contributing factors.
  • Nutritional status is increasingly recognized as a potential determinant of immune system development and allergic diseases.
  • Understanding these associations is crucial for public health interventions in developing countries.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between current childhood nutritional status and current wheezing among preschool children in rural Bangladesh.
  • To identify specific nutritional indicators linked to wheezing prevalence.
  • To provide evidence for targeted nutritional and health strategies.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted in rural Bangladesh involving 912 children aged 4-5 years.
  • Anthropometric measurements assessed nutritional status (stunting, underweight).
  • Wheezing was determined using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire; IgE levels were also measured.

Main Results:

  • Wheezing at 4-5 years old was significantly associated with stunting (OR=1.58) and underweight (OR=1.39).
  • The association between stunting and wheezing remained significant after adjusting for multiple confounding factors (OR=1.74).
  • These findings suggest a direct link between poor growth and respiratory symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood stunting is a significant risk factor for wheezing in rural Bangladeshi children.
  • The study underscores the importance of nutritional status in the development of allergic illnesses.
  • Further research is needed to confirm these relationships in developing country contexts.
Abstract

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