Child development and nutritional status in 12-59 months of age in resource limited setting of Ethiopia
Shimelash Bitew Workie1, Tesfa Mekonen2, Tefera Chane Mekonen3
1College of Health Sciences and Medicine, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita Sodo, Ethiopia. sbitew0@gmail.com.
Insights
Childhood development is significantly linked to nutritional status. Addressing undernutrition is crucial for optimal brain growth and development in young children. Further research is recommended.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Biology
- Public Health Nutrition
Background:
- Early childhood is a critical period for brain development, influenced by nutrition, health, and social factors.
- Child development is a complex process impacted by biological, environmental, and social determinants.
- Nutritional status is a key factor influencing early childhood development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the relationship between childhood development and nutritional status in young children.
- To identify developmental challenges and their correlation with nutritional indicators.
- To provide evidence for interventions aimed at improving child development through nutritional support.
Main Methods:
- A community-based cross-sectional study involving 626 children aged 12-59 months.
- Child development assessed using the Age and Stage Questionnaire (ASQ-3); nutritional status determined by height and weight measurements.
- Data analyzed using correlation and multiple logistic regression to establish relationships.
Main Results:
- 19.0% of children exhibited a high risk of developmental problems across various domains.
- Significant rates of stunting (34.1%), wasting (6.9%), and underweight (11.9%) were observed.
- Positive correlations found between weight-for-age, height-for-age, and all five domains of child development (communication, gross motor, fine motor, personal social, problem-solving).
Conclusions:
- Child development is directly associated with nutritional status.
- Interventions to reduce childhood undernutrition are essential for promoting healthy development.
- Further research is needed to comprehensively understand and support childhood development.
Background:
Early years of life are period of maximal growth and development of human brain. Development of young child is influenced by biological endowment and health of child, nutritional status of child, relationships with primary caregivers, family, and support systems in the community. This study was aimed to assess childhood development in relation to their nutritional status.
Method:
Community-based cross-sectional study was employed. Multi-stage systematic random sampling technique was used to select 626 children aged 12-59 months with mother/caregivers' pairs in Wolaita district in 2015. Child development assessment was done using third edition of age and stage questionnaire. Height and weight were measured by trained data collectors then the WHO Anthro version 3.2.2 software was used to convert nutritional data indices. Data were entered into Epi-info version 3.3.5 and was exported and analyzed using STATA version 14. Correlation and multiple logistic regression were used.
Result:
High risk of developmental problem in children were 19.0% with 95% CI (16.06%, 22.3%), and it is expressed as communication 5.8%, gross motor 6.1%, fine motor 4.0%, personal social 8.8%, and problem solving 4.1%. One-third (34.1%) of the study participants were stunted while 6.9% and 11.9% of them were wasted and underweight respectively. Weight-for-age (WAZ) and height-for-age positively correlated with all five domains of development, i.e., with communication, gross motor, fine motor, personal social, and problem solving (r = 0.1 - 0.23; p < 0.0001, and r = 0.131 - 0.249; p < 0.0001) respectively.
Conclusion And Recommendation:
Overall child development was directly related with nutritional status. So, available resources should be offered to decrease children undernutrition. Further assessment on childhood development of children is necessary.
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