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. 2014 Sep;17(9):2131-7.
doi: 10.1017/S1368980013003017. Epub 2013 Nov 15.

Growth faltering and recovery in children aged 1-8 years in four low- and middle-income countries: Young Lives

Elizabeth A Lundeen  1 , Jere R Behrman  2 , Benjamin T Crookston  3 , Kirk A Dearden  4 , Patrice Engle  5 , Andreas Georgiadis  6 , Mary E Penny  7 , Aryeh D Stein  8 ; Young Lives Determinants and Consequences of Child Growth Project Team
Collaborators, Affiliations

Growth faltering and recovery in children aged 1-8 years in four low- and middle-income countries: Young Lives

Elizabeth A Lundeen et al. Public Health Nutr. 2014 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: We characterized post-infancy child growth patterns and determined the incidence of becoming stunted and of recovery from stunting.

Design: Data came from Young Lives, a longitudinal study of childhood poverty in four low- and middle-income countries.

Setting: We analysed length/height measurements for children at ages 1, 5 and 8 years.

Subjects: Children (n 7171) in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam.

Results: Mean height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) at age 1 year ranged from -1·51 (Ethiopia) to -1·08 (Vietnam). From age 1 to 5 years, mean HAZ increased by 0·27 in Ethiopia (P < 0·001) and decreased among the other cohorts (range: -0·19 (Peru) to -0·32 (India); all P < 0·001). From 5 to 8 years, mean HAZ increased in all cohorts (range: 0·19 (India) to 0·38 (Peru); all P < 0·001). Prevalence of stunting (HAZ<-2·0) at 1 year ranged from 21 % (Vietnam) to 46 % (Ethiopia). From age 1 to 5 years, stunting prevalence decreased by 15·1 percentage points in Ethiopia (P < 0·001) and increased in the other cohorts (range: 3·0 percentage points (Vietnam) to 5·3 percentage points (India); all P ≤ 0·001). From 5 to 8 years, stunting prevalence decreased in all cohorts (range: 5·0 percentage points (Vietnam) to 12·7 percentage points (Peru); all P < 0·001). The incidence of becoming stunted between ages 1 to 5 years ranged from 11 % (Vietnam) to 22 % (India); between ages 5 to 8 years, it ranged from 3 % (Peru) to 6 % (India and Ethiopia). The incidence of recovery from stunting between ages 1 and 5 years ranged from 27 % (Vietnam) to 53 % (Ethiopia); between ages 5 and 8 years, it ranged from 30 % (India) to 47 % (Ethiopia).

Conclusions: We found substantial recovery from early stunting among children in four low- and middle-income countries.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Mean height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) at round 1 by age at recruitment in months among children (n 7171) in four low- and middle-income countries (formula image, Ethiopia; formula image, India; formula image, Peru; formula image, Vietnam); the Young Lives study
Fig 2
Fig 2
Categories of change in height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) between rounds (formula image, decrease in HAZ of ≥2·00; formula image, decrease in HAZ of 1·00–1·99; formula image, decrease in HAZ of 0·50–0·99; formula image, change in HAZ within –0·49 to +0·49; formula image, increase in HAZ of 0·50–0·99; formula image, increase in HAZ of 1·00–1·99; formula image, increase in HAZ of ≥2·00), by country, among children (n 7171) in four low- and middle-income countries; the Young Lives study. Bars represent the percentages of children in each category of HAZ change
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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