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
Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Jul;20(3):e13643.
doi: 10.1111/mcn.13643. Epub 2024 Mar 26.

Effects of short birth interval on child malnutrition in the Asia-Pacific region: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis

Md Nuruzzaman Khan  1   2 , Melissa L Harris  2 , Tahir A Hassen  2 , Tanmay Bagade  3 , Desalegn M Shifti  2   4 , Tesfaye R Feyissa  5 , Catherine Chojenta  3
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effects of short birth interval on child malnutrition in the Asia-Pacific region: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis

Md Nuruzzaman Khan et al. Matern Child Nutr. 2024 Jul.

Abstract

Child malnutrition remains a significant concern in the Asia-Pacific region, with short birth intervals recognised as a potential risk factor. However, evidence of this association is inconclusive. This study aimed to systematically review the existing evidence and assess the summary effects of short birth interval on child malnutrition in the Asia-Pacific region. Five electronic databases were searched in May 2023 to identify relevant studies reporting the association between short birth interval and child malnutrition, including stunting, wasting, underweight, anaemia and overall malnutrition, in Asia-Pacific region between September 2000 and May 2023. Fixed-effects or random-effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate the summary effects of short birth interval on child malnutrition. Out of 56 studies meeting the inclusion criteria, 48 were included in quantitative synthesis through meta-analysis. We found a slightly higher likelihood of stunting (n = 25, odds ratio [OR] = 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.97-1.32) and overall malnutrition (n = 3, OR = 2.42; 95% CI: 0.88-6.65) among children born in short birth intervals compared to those with nonshort intervals, although the effect was not statistically significant. However, caution is warranted due to identified heterogeneity across studies. Subgroup analysis demonstrated significant effects of short birth intervals on child malnutrition in national-level studies and studies with larger sample sizes. These findings underscore short birth intervals as a significant contributor to child malnutrition in the Asia-Pacific region. Implementing effective policies and programs is vital to alleviate this burden, ultimately reducing child malnutrition and associated adverse outcomes, including child mortality.

Keywords: Asia‐Pacific region; child malnutrition; short interval pregnancy; systematic review and meta‐analysis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic presentation of the studies included and excluded in the systematic review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Achakzai, P. , & Khan, R. (2016). Nutritional status and associated factors among children less than five years of age in Tehsil Zarghoon Town, district Quetta, Baluchistan. Journal of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad, 28(1), 146–151. - PubMed
    1. Adhikari, D. , Khatri, R. B. , Paudel, Y. R. , & Poudyal, A. K. (2017). Factors associated with underweight among under‐five children in eastern Nepal: Community‐based cross‐sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health, 5, 350. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Akram, R. , Sultana, M. , Ali, N. , Sheikh, N. , & Sarker, A. R. (2018). Prevalence and determinants of stunting among preschool children and its urban–rural disparities in Bangladesh. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 39(4), 521–535. - PubMed
    1. Akseer, N. , Tasic, H. , Nnachebe Onah, M. , Wigle, J. , Rajakumar, R. , Sanchez‐Hernandez, D. , Akuoku, J. , Black, R. E. , Horta, B. L. , Nwuneli, N. , Shine, R. , Wazny, K. , Japra, N. , Shekar, M. , & Hoddinott, J. (2022). Economic costs of childhood stunting to the private sector in low‐and middle‐income countries. EClinicalMedicine, 45, 101320. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Alelign, T. , Degarege, A. , & Erko, B. (2015). Prevalence and factors associated with undernutrition and anaemia among school children in Durbete Town, northwest Ethiopia. Archives of Public Health, 73(1), 34. - PMC - PubMed