Effect of Low Birth Weight on Child Stunting among Adolescent Mothers

Abstract

Introduction: Child stunting and low birth weight are the global public health problems. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of child stunting and its association with low birth weight among adolescent mothers. Methodology: 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 from August 2016 to March 2017. Descriptive and analytic statistics were used to analyze data. Results: 16.4% of children were stunted. Univariable logistic regression disclosed factors significantly associated with stunting included age at delivery, educational level, family members, weight gain during pregnancy, birth weight, complete immunization, recent illness history, breast feeding and complementary feeding (p-value Conclusion: Efforts to reduce child stunting should include surveillance systems of stunting and associated factors 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.