Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 May-Jun;99(3):205-218.
doi: 10.1016/j.jped.2022.10.009. Epub 2022 Dec 23.

Determining factors of child linear growth from the viewpoint of Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory

Gabriela Rossiter Stux Veiga  1 , Gisélia Alves Pontes da Silva  2 , Bruna Merten Padilha  3 , Marilia de Carvalho Lima  2
Affiliations
Review

Determining factors of child linear growth from the viewpoint of Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory

Gabriela Rossiter Stux Veiga et al. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2023 May-Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the factors associated with children's linear growth, according to the different subsystems of the 6Cs model and Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory.

Data sources: Narrative review, carried out in the Scielo, Lilacs, Pubmed, and Science Direct databases, based on research using the terms Bioecological Theory, child growth, and risk factors, combined with the use of Boolean operators.

Summary of findings: According to the 6Cs model, proposed based on Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory, the determining factors of children's linear growth are in six interrelated subsystems - cell, child, clan, community, country/state and culture. The empirical studies included in this review made it possible to analyze protection and risk factors within the subsystems. Among the protective factors: are adequate birth weight and satisfactory weight gain, breastfeeding for six months or more; proper hygienic habit of hand washing, proper elimination of feces, and access to clean water. As risk factors: low, birth weight and size, prematurity, multiple deliveries, short interval between deliveries, non-exclusive breastfeeding until the 3rd month, frequency and severity of infectious processes and anemia, little parental education, short maternal statur, inadequate maternal nutritional status, domestic violence, family poverty, food, and nutritional insecurity, living in rural areas or at high altitudes.

Conclusion: Children's linear growth is determined by interrelated factors that encompass aspects prior to the child's birth, as well as socioeconomic, political, family and community issues.

Keywords: Bioecological theory; Child; Growth; Protection factors; Risk factors.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure. 1
Second revision of ecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1977).
Figure 2
Figure. 2
Model 6C adapted to the determinants of children's linear growth.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Shively G., Sununtnasuk C., Brown M. Environmental variability and child growth in Nepal. Health Place. 2015;35:37–51. - PubMed
    1. Vilcins D., Sly P.D., Jagals P. Environmental risk factors associated with child stunting: a systematic review of the literature. Ann Glob Health. 2018;84:551–562. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Benetti I.C., Vieira M.L., Crepaldi M.A., Schneider D.R. Fundamentos da teoria bioecológica de Urie Bronfenbrenner. Pensando Psicología. 2013;9:89–99.
    1. Harrison K., Bost K.K., Mcbride B.A., Donovan S.M. Toward a developmental conceptualization of contributors to overweight and obesity in childhood: the Six-Cs model. Child Dev Perspec. 2011;5:50–58.
    1. Vélez-Agosto N.M., Soto-Crespo J.G., Vizcarrondo-Oppenheimer M., Vega-Molina S., Coll C.G. Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory revision: moving culture from the macro into the micro. Perspec Psychol Sci. 2017;12:900–910. - PubMed

Publication types