Factors Associated to Abnormal Nutritional Status of Children: A Survey from Clinics in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract

Thoai Dang Nguyen, Tram Thi Huyen Nguyen, Pol Van Nguyen, Thuy Phan Chung Tran

Background: In Vietnam, the horror and mortality of mother and child, whether legitimately or through the back door, is represented by traditions that predominate in the general public. Practices for supporting and educating infants fluctuate according to networks, depending on social tradition. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the situation when rearing and nurturing children and to explore the associated factors that affected to nutritional status of the children.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study conducted between September 2018 to April 2019 in ten obstetrics and gynecology clinics located in Ho Chi Minh City. Mothers were chosen if they have at least one child that at the age of 36 months or higher. Children body mass index (BMI) was calculated and assessed by using BMI-for-age-and-gender quantile. Logistic regression was performed where dependent variable was a discrete variable including normal and abnormal nutrition status.
Results: The average age of the mothers was 29.4±4.6 years and the average age of the child was 24.1±5.7 months. Over half of the mothers maintain breastfeeding (50.6%). Child whose mothers lived in the rural area had 3.76 times higher risks to be under- or overweight, compared to those lived in rural regions (p=0.009). Child whose mother were well- educated was had a lower risk of abnormal nutritional status. Compared to those who earned high income, mothers earned low income had higher risks to have abnormal-nutritional-status children. Children who were breast-fed till 36 months old had the lower risks to be under- or overweight than the counterparts.
Conclusion: The risks of children to be under- or overweight was positively affected by rural area, lower educated, low monthly income and was negative affected by the middle expenditure for child and breastfeeding till 36 months old.