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Risk factors for wasting and stunting among children in Metro Cebu, Philippines

J A Ricci1, S Becker

  • 1Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore 21202, USA.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|June 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

This study on child malnutrition in the Philippines found that maternal factors primarily influence wasting and stunting in infants under six months. After six months, socioeconomic factors become key determinants of malnutrition risk.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Nutritional Epidemiology

Background:

  • Child malnutrition, specifically wasting and stunting, remains a significant global health challenge.
  • Understanding the distinct risk factors for wasting and stunting is crucial for effective interventions.
  • Previous research suggests differing etiological pathways for wasting and stunting.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and analyze the risk factors associated with wasting and stunting in young children (under 30 months) in Metro Cebu, Philippines.
  • To differentiate the determinants of wasting and stunting based on child age and socioeconomic context.
  • To inform targeted public health interventions for child malnutrition.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study design involving 18,544 children under 30 months in Metro Cebu, Philippines.
  • Cross-sectional analysis of demographic, socioeconomic, maternal, and child biological variables.
  • Logistic regression modeling applied to six child age-residence strata.

Main Results:

  • Wasting and stunting appear to be distinct nutritional processes with different risk factor profiles.
  • For infants under 6 months, maternal behaviors (e.g., breastfeeding) and child biological factors (e.g., birth weight) were primary risk factors.
  • After 6 months, household socioeconomic characteristics (e.g., father's education, media access) became significant determinants of malnutrition.
  • Socioeconomic influence on stunting risk emerged earlier in rural than urban settings.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal and child biological factors are critical in early infancy, while socioeconomic status gains importance later in childhood.
  • Interventions should be age-specific, addressing maternal and infant factors early, and socioeconomic determinants in older infants.
  • The findings highlight the complex interplay of biological, behavioral, and socioeconomic factors in child malnutrition.

Keywords:
Age FactorsAnthropometryAsiaBehaviorBiologyBirth WeightBody WeightBreast FeedingData AnalysisDemographic FactorsDeveloping CountriesDiseasesEconomic FactorsEducational StatusFamily And HouseholdFamily CharacteristicsFamily RelationshipsFathersHealthHouseholdsInfantInfant NutritionLinear RegressionLongitudinal StudiesMalnutrition--determinantsMeasurementMothersNutritionNutrition DisordersParentsPhilippinesPhysiologyPopulationPopulation CharacteristicsResearch MethodologyResearch ReportRisk FactorsSocioeconomic FactorsSocioeconomic StatusSoutheastern AsiaStatistical RegressionStudiesUrban PopulationYouth

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