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. 2015 Jul;11(3):333-45.
doi: 10.1111/mcn.12168. Epub 2014 Dec 23.

Determinants of child stunting in the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan: an in-depth analysis of nationally representative data

Victor M Aguayo  1 , Nina Badgaiyan  1 , Kajali Paintal  1
Affiliations

Determinants of child stunting in the Royal Kingdom of Bhutan: an in-depth analysis of nationally representative data

Victor M Aguayo et al. Matern Child Nutr. 2015 Jul.

Abstract

Stunting is associated with poor survival and development in children. Our analysis identifies the factors most significantly associated with child stunting in Bhutan using a nationally representative sample of 2085 children 0-23 months old. We find that 27.5% of children were stunted and almost half (42.6%) of the stunted children were severely stunted. Children's mean height-for-age z-score deteriorated significantly with age (from -0.23 in infants 0-5 months old to -1.60 in children 18-23 months old) and levels of severe stunting were significantly higher among boys. Multivariate regression analysis indicates that children from the Eastern/Western regions had a 64% higher odds of being stunted than children from the Central region (OR 1.64; 95% CI 1.29-2.07); similarly, children from the two lower wealth quintiles had 37% higher odds of being stunted than children from the two upper wealth quintiles (OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.00-1.87). Children whose mothers received three or fewer antenatal care visits during the last pregnancy had a 31% higher odds of being stunted (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.01-1.69) while children whose mothers did not receive antenatal care from a doctor, nurse or midwife had a 51% higher odds of being stunted (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.18-1.92). Recommended complementary feeding practices tended to be associated with lower odds of stunting, particularly in the first year of life. Specifically, children who were not fed complementary foods at 6-8 months had about threefold higher odds of being severely stunted than children who were fed complementary foods (OR 2.73; 95% CI 1.06-7.02).

Keywords: Bhutan; children; feeding; growth; height; stunting.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. The opinions expressed on this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent an official position by UNICEF.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of stunting in children 0–23 months old. Bhutan, 2010.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Height‐for‐age z‐score in children 0–23 months old. Bhutan, 2010.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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