Nutritional Status of Infants and Some Related Risk Factors in Shahroud, Iran

Background: This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of children under two years old in two time periods in ۱۹۹۵ and ۲۰۱۶ in rural areas of Shahroud.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive analytical study enrolled ۱۴۴۳ participants selected by cluster sampling in ۱۹۹۵ and ۲۰۱۶. We calculated the mean standard deviation of weight for age, height for age, and weight for height and compared them with international reference values (WHO/NCHS). The obtained values which were two standard deviations below the mean reference values were defined as wasting, underweight, and stunting. The collected data was analyzed in SPSS software at a significance level of ۰.۰۵ using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and regression analysis.Results: In this study, ۱۴۴۳ children under two years old were studied over two time periods in ۱۹۹۵ and ۲۰۱۶. The results showed ۱۴.۹%, ۲۹.۵%, and ۷.۳%, in ۱۹۹۵ and ۹.۲%, ۱۰.۱%, and ۴% in ۲۰۱۶ suffered from underweight, wasting, and stunting, respectively. Among the factors involved in malnutrition in ۱۹۹۵ were parents’ education, family size, child gender, birth order, type of the first complementary food, diarrhea, acute respiratory infection in the two weeks prior to the study, and exclusive breastfeeding. In ۲۰۱۶, we observed significant relationships between the body mass index (BMI), underweight, wasting, exclusive breastfeeding, and all three types of malnutrition.Conclusions: Despite a reduction in the prevalence of different types of malnutrition, it is still a common problem. When designing such programs, special attention must be paid to promote breastfeeding.Background: This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of children under two years old in two time periods in ۱۹۹۵ and ۲۰۱۶ in rural areas of Shahroud. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive analytical study enrolled ۱۴۴۳ participants selected by cluster sampling in ۱۹۹۵ and ۲۰۱۶. We calculated the mean standard deviation of weight for age, height for age, and weight for height and compared them with international reference values (WHO/NCHS). The obtained values which were two standard deviations below the mean reference values were defined as wasting, underweight, and stunting. The collected data was analyzed in SPSS software at a significance level of ۰.۰۵ using descriptive statistics, chi-square test, and regression analysis. Results: In this study, ۱۴۴۳ children under two years old were studied over two time periods in ۱۹۹۵ and ۲۰۱۶. The results showed ۱۴.۹%, ۲۹.۵%, and ۷.۳%, in ۱۹۹۵ and ۹.۲%, ۱۰.۱%, and ۴% in ۲۰۱۶ suffered from underweight, wasting, and stunting, respectively. Among the factors involved in malnutrition in ۱۹۹۵ were parents’ education, family size, child gender, birth order, type of the first complementary food, diarrhea, acute respiratory infection in the two weeks prior to the study, and exclusive breastfeeding. In ۲۰۱۶, we observed significant relationships between the body mass index (BMI), underweight, wasting, exclusive breastfeeding, and all three types of malnutrition. Conclusions: Despite a reduction in the prevalence of different types of malnutrition, it is still a common problem. When designing such programs, special attention must be paid to promote breastfeeding.

کلیدواژه ها:

Nutritional status ، Infancy ، Iran.