Peer-reviewed article

Predictors of Stunting among Children Attending the National Nutrition Institute in Egypt

· 1 Jan 2018

Abstract

Back ground: Child malnutrition is a major public health problem in low income and middleincome countries especially among marginalized populations. Stunting contributes to 14.5%of annual deaths and 12.6% of disability adjusted life years (DALYS) in under-5 yearschildren. Objective: To identify factors contributing to stunting among a sample of children.Methods: A case control study was conducted at the National Nutrition Institute, Egypt. Thestudy recruited 300 children aged 2-8 years, 148 stunted children as cases and 152 nonstuntedas control. Anthropometric measurements were assessed, socio economic status wasevaluated, dietary assessment was done using 24 hours recall and food frequencyquestionnaire, previous feeding practices, and morbidities in the last two weeks wereassessed. Results: Four logistic regression models were developed to predict stunting basedon the framework developed by the WHO. Mothers’ education was the only socioeconomicpredictor of stunting where low maternal education attainment was associated with stunting.Formula feeding during first six moth of life was associated with reduced stunting. Childrenwith history of delayed milestones were 2.4 times more likely to be stunted (p=0.002) whilechildren with history of rickets were four times more likely to be stunted (p=0.007). Bothanemia and chest infection increased the risk of being stunting by two folds. Dietarypredictors included milk, meat and calcium consumption where meeting milk and meatgroups recommendation reduced risk of being stunted by 80% and 40% while reducedcalcium intake by 1 mg increase risk of being stunting by 1%. Conclusion: maternaleducation, previous formula feeding, previous morbidities and decrease intake of milk andmeat groups are significant predictors for stunting.