Abstract
BackgroundThe objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the quality of feeding practices and children’s nutritional status in rural western China.MethodsA sample of 12,146 pairs of 6- to 35-month-old children and their mothers were recruited using stratified multistage cluster random sampling in rural western China. Quantile regression was used to analyze the relationship between the Infant and Child Feeding Index (ICFI) and children’s nutritional status.ResultsIn rural western China, 24.37% of all infants and young children suffer from malnutrition. Of this total, 19.57%, 8.74% and 4.63% of infants and children are classified as stunting, underweight and wasting, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, the quantile regression results suggested that qualified ICFI (ICFI > 13.8) was associated with all length and HAZ quantiles (P<0.05) and had a greater effect on the following: poor length and HAZ, the β-estimates (length) from 0.76 cm (95% CI: 0.53 to 0.99 cm) to 0.34 cm (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.59 cm) and the β-estimates (HAZ) from 0.17 (95% CI: 0.10 to 0.24) to 0.11 (95% CI: 0.04 to 0.19). Qualified ICFI was also associated with most weight quantiles (P<0.05 except the 80th and 90th quantiles) and poor and intermediate WAZ quantiles (P<0.05 including the 10th, 20th 30th and 40th quantiles). Additionally, qualified ICFI had a greater effect on poor weight and WAZ quantiles in which the β-estimates (weight) were from 0.20 kg (95% CI: 0.14 to 0.26 kg) to 0.06 kg (95% CI: 0.00 to 0.12 kg) and the β-estimates (WAZ) were from 0.14 (95% CI: 0.08 to 0.21) to 0.05 (95% CI: 0.01 to 0.10).ConclusionsFeeding practices were associated with the physical development of infants and young children, and proper feeding practices had a greater effect on poor physical development in infants and young children. For mothers in rural western China, proper guidelines and messaging on complementary feeding practices are necessary.
Highlights
Malnutrition, a prevalent disease in children in developing counties, seriously affects children’s growth, development and health
In rural western China, 24.37% of all infants and young children suffer from malnutrition
After adjusting for covariates, the quantile regression results suggested that qualified Infant and Child Feeding Index (ICFI) (ICFI > 13.8) was associated with all length and HAZ quantiles (P
Summary
Malnutrition, a prevalent disease in children in developing counties, seriously affects children’s growth, development and health. Improving children’s nutritional status and reducing the prevalence of malnutrition to promote their physical and mental development are greatly important [1,2]. Understanding the nutritional status of infants and children in western China and exploring the factors that influence it are important for improving infant and child nutrition and growth in this region. Using program data from 2005, the objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between the Infant and Child Feeding Index (ICFI) and children’s nutritional status in rural western China in 2005. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the quality of feeding practices and children’s nutritional status in rural western China
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