Factors Associated with Undernutrition, Anemia, and Child Illness in 2014 Cambodia Demographic Health Survey Público

Abstract

Background: Strides have been made in reducing the incidence of undernutrition globally, but the burden of undernutrition still falls heavily on the shoulders of low and middle income countries, and especially on women and children.  The effects of undernutrition can last into adulthood affecting cognitive and physical development, reducing productivity and increasing the risk for both infectious and chronic disease (UNICEF, 2015). Although Cambodia has made progress in reducing the prevalence of undernutrition, rates of stunting and anemia remain unacceptably high. 

 

Objective: The main objective of this study was to understand the current consumption of animal-source foods (ASF) in Cambodia among children (6-59 months) and how that correlates to incidence of undernutrition (stunting, underweight, wasting), anemia and diarrhea.

 

Methods: Data from the nationally representative 2014 Cambodia Demographic Health Survey (CDHS) produced a sample of children 6-59 months with valid anthropometric measurements and completed questions on food consumption (n=1967). Multivariate linear and logistic regression were used to model the relationship between ASF consumption and height-for-age z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), weight-for-height z-score (WHZ), hemoglobin concentration, stunting, underweight, wasting, anemia, and diarrhea, adjusting for covariates.

 

Results: Consumption of any ASF was high (77.22%) across social and geographic variables, but it was not significantly associated with a lower risk of undernutrition. Consumption of ASF was associated with higher risk of anemia in children 25-59 months (OR=1.62; 95% CI 1.02, 2.58), contrary to previous literature.  Wealth index was the strongest predictor for nutritional indices and greater wealth was especially associated with lower risk of stunting (OR=0.19; 95% CI 0.09, 0.40), underweight (OR=0.31; 95% CI 0.12, 0.79), anemia (OR=0.35; 95% CI 0.18, 0.67), and diarrhea (OR=0.48; 95% CI 0.25, 0.90) in children 6-24 months.

 

Conclusions: Nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs are required to comprehensively address the poverty-embedded problem of undernutrition in Cambodia. Additional research is needed to examine the quality of complementary foods upon their introduction and the quantity of ASF consumed to better understand the relationship between ASF consumption and undernutrition.

Table of Contents

Abstract------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- iv

Chapter I: Introduction---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1

Figure 1------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2

Chapter II: Literature Review--------------------------------------------------------------------------------3

            Figure 2------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------6

Figure 3------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7

Figure 4------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------8

Figure 5------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------9

 

Chapter III: Project Context--------------------------------------------------------------------------------13

            Methods----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------13

                        Figure 6--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------14

            Results------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15

Table 1---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16

Figure 7--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------17

Figure 8--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18

Table 2---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------20

Table 3---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------23

Table 4---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------25

Table 5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------26

 

Chapter IV: Conclusions and Recommendations--------------------------------------------------------28

References----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------33    

About this Master's Thesis

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School	Rollins School of Public Health
Department	Hubert Department of Global Health
Degree	M.P.H.
Submission	Master's Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Public Health
Palabra Clave	Underweight Cambodia Wasting Anemia Nutrition Diarrhea Animal source food Stunting
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Young, Melissa, Emory University
Partnering Agencies	Emory University schools, faculty or affiliated programs

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