Growth disparity of motherless children might be attributed to a deficient intake of high-quality nutrients

Abstract

We hypothesized that single-parent children (SPC) are retarded in growth compared with both-parent children (BPC), and that motherless children (MC) are affected differently from fatherless children. Moreover, the growth disparity between SPC and BPC might be attributed to a deficient nutrient intake. Data from 2967 children between the ages of 2 and 18 years were extracted from 4 recent waves (2004, 2006, 2009, and 2011) of the China Health and Nutrition Survey to compare the growth status of SPC and BPC and to investigate the association between growth indicators and nutrition status. Anthropometric measures and 24-hour recall of 3 consecutive days of dietary intake were collected. The discrepancy of growth status and nutrition between BPC and SPC was analyzed by multivariable regression models with adjustments for socioeconomic status. Results indicated that MC were significantly lighter in weight than BPC (P=.03); the same trend was observed for height (P=.08). This might be attributed to the lower intake of animal-source protein (P=.02), such as meat (P=.04) and fish (P=.04). Further analysis showed that intake of animal-source iron and zinc was also significantly lower in MC compared with BPC (P=.01, P=.03). No difference was detected in fatherless children in comparison with BPC. Our study indicated that the loss of the mother adversely affected children's growth status and that a lower intake of animal-source protein, iron, and zinc might be a reason for the retarded growth status of MC.