Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study examined how maternal influence on child feeding modified the deterioration of child nutritional status in Chad. METHODS: The pattern of height with age was examined in 98 rural Chadian children aged 12 through 71 months from 64 households randomly chosen. RESULTS: Younger children were more stunted than older ones, probably reflecting secular deterioration in weanlings' nutritional status from 1982 to 1987. Children of mothers with influence over child feeding were taller than children of mothers with less influence, but this held only for the youngest children. CONCLUSIONS: Height-for-age can be a useful indicator of recent changes in social and environmental effects on child health. The mother's influence may have buffered the negative impact of socioeconomic conditions on child growth.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Allen L. H. Nutritional influences on linear growth: a general review. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1994 Feb;48 (Suppl 1):S75–S89. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Bairagi R., Aziz K. M., Chowdhury M. K., Edmonston B. Age misstatement for young children in rural Bangladesh. Demography. 1982 Nov;19(4):447–458. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Frongillo E. A., Jr, Hanson K. M. Determinants of variability among nations in child growth. Ann Hum Biol. 1995 Sep-Oct;22(5):395–411. doi: 10.1080/03014469500004082. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Martorell R., Leslie J., Moock P. R. Characteristics and determinants of child nutritional status in Nepal. Am J Clin Nutr. 1984 Jan;39(1):74–86. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/39.1.74. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Proos L. A., Hofvander Y., Tuvemo T. Menarcheal age and growth pattern of Indian girls adopted in Sweden. II. Catch-up growth and final height. Indian J Pediatr. 1991 Jan-Feb;58(1):105–114. doi: 10.1007/BF02810420. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Schumacher L. B., Pawson I. G., Kretchmer N. Growth of immigrant children in the newcomer schools of San Francisco. Pediatrics. 1987 Dec;80(6):861–868. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Walker S. P., Powell C. A., Grantham-McGregor S. M., Himes J. H., Chang S. M. Nutritional supplementation, psychosocial stimulation, and growth of stunted children: the Jamaican study. Am J Clin Nutr. 1991 Oct;54(4):642–648. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/54.4.642. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Waterlow J. C., Buzina R., Keller W., Lane J. M., Nichaman M. Z., Tanner J. M. The presentation and use of height and weight data for comparing the nutritional status of groups of children under the age of 10 years. Bull World Health Organ. 1977;55(4):489–498. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]