Abstract

Introduction: Child stunting is one of the global public health problems and breastfeeding is one of the modifiable maternal factors protecting against child stunting. The current study aims to determine the prevalence of breastfeeding and its association with child stunting among adolescent mothers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province. Using multi-stage stratified sampling method, 250 participants were recruited. Data were collected using structured interview questionnaires in 6 districts from August 2016 to March 2017. Descriptive and analytic statistics were used to analyze data. Results: 16.4% of children were stunted and 22.4% were breastfed for ≥6 months. Univariable logistic regression disclosed significantly associated factors of stunting included age at delivery, educational level, family members, weight gain during pregnancy, birth weight, complete immunization, recent illness, breast feeding and complementary feeding (p-value < 0.05). After adjusting multivariable logistic regression analysis for potential confounders, babies breastfed <4 months were 1.83 times at risk compared with those breastfed ≥6 months (OR=1.83, 95%CI=0.41-8.30) but without significance. Conclusion: Efforts to reduce child stunting should include surveillance systems of stunting which should be conducted accompanied by providing perspectives on maternal and child health care, implementing health literacy regarding breastfeeding among adolescent mothers and prevention programs to reduce and prevent child stunting.

Highlights

  • Child stunting is one of the global public health problems and breastfeeding is one of the modifiable maternal factors protecting against child stunting

  • A total of 250 adolescent mothers participated in the present study

  • Two hundred and fifty young children of adolescent mothers were selected for the present study

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Summary

Introduction

Child stunting is one of the global public health problems and breastfeeding is one of the modifiable maternal factors protecting against child stunting. The current study aims to determine the prevalence of breastfeeding and its association with child stunting among adolescent mothers. Stunting is the most prevalent form of child under-nutrition and one of the global health problems, a deficit of height to age relation, and it is responsible for delayed development including impaired cognitive function and increased susceptibility to infectious diseases among children. The World Health Assembly is dedicated to supporting the achievement of the Global Nutrition Targets 2025 to reduce by 40% the number of children under five years who are stunted [1]. In 2012 globally, approximately 162 million children under five were stunted [2]. Stunting rates among children under five years are unconscionably high in Africa

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