TABLE 2.
Prevalence (%) of under- and overnutrition among children in 4 selected countries in Asia, and the urban/rural and gender differences
| Country | Stunting2 (%) | Wasting2 (%) | Underweight2 (%) | Overweight/obesity2,3 (%) | Overweight/obesity to underweight ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China1 | All | 8.1 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 11.5 | 4.60 |
| (2010–2013) | Rural | 11.3 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 11.7 | 3.65 |
| (14) | Urban | 4.2 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 11.3 | 6.65 |
| Rural/urban ratio | 2.7 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.0 | ||
| Boy | 8.7 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 13.0 | 5.00 | |
| Girl | 7.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 9.7 | 4.04 | |
| Boy/girl ratio | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 | ||
| India1 | All | 38.4 | 21.0 | 35.7 | 2.1 | 0.06 |
| (2015–2016) | Rural | 41.2 | 21.4 | 38.3 | 1.8 | 0.05 |
| (16) | Urban | 31.0 | 20.0 | 29.1 | 2.8 | 0.10 |
| Rural/urban ratio | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.6 | ||
| Boy | 38.9 | 21.9 | 36.1 | 2.1 | 0.06 | |
| Girl | 37.9 | 20.1 | 35.3 | 2.1 | 0.06 | |
| Boy/girl ratio | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | ||
| Nepal1 | All | 35.8 | 9.7 | 27.0 | 1.2 | 0.04 |
| (2016) | Rural | 40.2 | 10.2 | 31.1 | 0.9 | 0.03 |
| (17) | Urban | 32.0 | 9.2 | 23.4 | 1.5 | 0.06 |
| Rural/urban ratio | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.6 | ||
| Boy | 36.0 | 9.5 | 26.7 | 1.4 | 0.05 | |
| Girl | 35.7 | 9.8 | 27.4 | 1.0 | 0.04 | |
| Boy/girl ratio | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.4 | ||
| Pakistan1 | All | 37.6 | 7.0 | 23.0 | 2.5 | 0.11 |
| (2017–2018) | Rural | 41.0 | 7.3 | 19.0 | 2.2 | 0.12 |
| (18) | Urban | 31.0 | 6.7 | 25.0 | 3.0 | 0.12 |
| Rural/urban ratio | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | ||
| Boy | 38.0 | 7.6 | 24.0 | 2.3 | 0.10 | |
| Girl | 37.0 | 6.6 | 22.0 | 2.6 | 0.12 | |
| Boy/girl ratio | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 |
Data sources: China National Nutrition and Health Surveillance Report (2010–2013): data was from the China Nutrition and Health Surveillance 0–5 Years Old Children and Lactating Women project in 2013 (14). Report on Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2015): data was from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Center for Cardiovascular Disease, and the National Cancer Center (15). India National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) (2015–2016): data was from a large-scale, multiround survey conducted in a representative sample of households throughout India (16). Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (2016): data was from a nationally representative study implemented by New ERA under the aegis of the Ministry of Health of Nepal (17). Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (2017–2018): data was from a nationally representative study implemented by the National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS) under the aegis of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Islamabad, Pakistan (18). The data in the 2 Chinese reports came from 2010–2015.
For children aged under 5 y in 4 countries: stunting: height-for-age < -2 SD; wasting: weight-for-height <-2 SD; underweight: weight-for-age <-2 SD, overweight/obesity: weight-for-height Z-score > +2 SD (19, 20).
For children aged 5 y in China: overweight: BMI Z-score > +1 SD (19).