Global Nutrition Outcomes at Ages 5 to 19

Excerpt

Globally, there are 1.8 billion children and adolescents ages 5–19 years; nearly 90 percent live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (World Bank 2015). The prevalence and consequences of malnutrition and inadequate intake of nutrients leading to increased risk of morbidity and mortality are well studied for children in their first 1,000 days (Black and others 2013). Little information about the prevalence and consequences of malnutrition is available for children and adolescents ages 5–19 years, although they constitute 27 percent of the population in LMICs (World Bank 2015).

This paucity of data makes it difficult to develop policies and strategies on why, if, and how to improve the nutritional situation of children and adolescents in LMICs. Available evidence from smaller studies for selected age groups within this cohort suggests that children ages 5–15 years suffer from high prevalence of nutritional deprivation and its consequences. Malnutrition is manifested as underweight (measured by low weight-for-age or body mass index [BMI]), overweight/obesity (measured by high weight-for-age or BMI), and micronutrient deficiencies (essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals). Overweight and obesity are caused by excessive intake of energy and, in most cases, suboptimal intakes of essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals because of a poor-quality diet.

The objective of this chapter is to use available national surveys, which provide information on the nutritional status at the beginning and end of the entire age range of 5–19 years, to obtain proxy indicators of malnutrition for school-age children. These indicators are compared with those for the larger age groups—for example, all children younger than age five years and all women of reproductive age (WRA)—collected in these studies. The chapter also discusses what is known about dietary intake and the consequences of malnutrition for this age group, as well as what actions are needed globally to address nutritional needs in these age groups. Chapter 11 of this volume (Lassi, Moin, and Bhutta 2017) also looks at nutrition in middle childhood and adolescence. Definitions of age groupings and age-specific terminology used in this volume can be found in chapter 1 (Bundy and others 2017).