Peer-reviewed article
Childhood stunting and wasting in Myanmar: Key drivers and implications for policies and programmes
Jessica L. Blankenship, Jennifer Cashin, Tuan T. Nguyen, Hedy Ip ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This study used a nationally representative sample of 3,981 children aged 0–59 months in Myanmar to identify what is linked to stunting (low height-for-age) and wasting (low weight-for-height). About 28% of children were stunted and 7% were wasted. Risk factors included short maternal height, small size at birth, no institutional delivery, poor drinking water, open defecation, maternal underweight and lower household wealth. The authors conclude that undernutrition has many causes that start before birth, and they call for multisectoral programmes with a focus on maternal nutrition.
Key points
- National prevalence was 28% for stunting and 7% for wasting among children 0–59 months.
- Boys were more likely than girls to be stunted or wasted.
- Stunting risk was highest at 24–35 months (RR 10.34 compared with children under 6 months). Wasting risk was highest in children under 6 months (RR 2.04 compared with children 36–59 months).
- Maternal height under 145 cm (RR 5.10), perceived small size at birth (RR 2.08) and no institutional delivery (RR 1.52) were linked to stunting.
- Maternal underweight (RR 1.64) and open defecation (RR 1.91) were linked to wasting.
Limitations
The abstract describes associations in a national sample and does not show that any factor causes undernutrition. It does not test whether any programme or intervention works.
Abstract
AbstractChild undernutrition is a public health and development problem in Myanmar that is jeopardizing children's physical and cognitive development and the country's social and economic progress. We identified key drivers of child stunting (low height‐for‐age) and wasting (low weight‐for‐height) in a nationally representative sample (n = 3,981) of children 0–59 months of age. The national prevalence of child stunting and wasting was 28% and 7%, respectively. Boys were more likely to be stunted or wasted than girls. Older children 24–35 months were at the highest risk of stunting compared with children under 6 months (risk ratios [RR] 10.34; 95% CI [6.42, 16.65]) whereas the youngest, under 6 months, were at the highest risk of wasting compared with children 36–59 months (RR 2.04; 95% CI [1.16, 3.57]). Maternal height <145 cm (RR 5.10; 95% CI [3.15, 8.23]), perceived small child size at birth (RR 2.08; 95% CI [1.62, 2.69]), and not benefiting from institutional delivery (RR 1.52; 95% CI [1.24, 1.87]) were associated with an increased risk of child stunting, as were maternal occupation, unimproved household drinking water, living in delta, coastal or upland areas, and poorer household wealth index quintile. Increased risk of child wasting was associated with maternal underweight (RR 1.64; 95% CI [1.11, 2.42]) and open defecation (RR 1.91; 95% CI [1.25, 2.92]) as well as maternal occupation and residence in a coastal area. Our findings indicate that the key drivers of child undernutrition in Myanmar are multifaceted and start in utero. Investing in scaling‐up multisectoral approaches that include nutrition‐specific and nutrition‐sensitive interventions with a focus on improving maternal nutrition is essential for reducing child undernutrition and contributing to further gains in the country's human and economic development.