Abstract
Background Child malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries still continues to be an alarming. Africa and Asia bear the greatest share of all forms of malnutrition. The association between maternal common mental disorder and stunting has not been studied well even in developed countries; much less in developing countries and even the findings are conflicting. Thus, the purpose of the present research was to investigate the relationship of maternal common mental disorder and child stunting. Methods Institution based unmatched case-control study design was employed from March to April 2017. Two hundred thirty-four sampled children (78 cases and 156 controls) were randomly selected. Anthropometric measurements (height/length and weight) were taken by calibrated instruments. Maternal common mental disorder (CMD) was measured by using the locally validated Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Data entry was done by Epi data version 3.1 and analysis was done by SPSS 21.0 statistical software. Result Finding of this study found out about three-fourths of cases (71.8%) and three-fourths of controls (69.9%) were residing in rural and urban areas, respectively. Regarding maternal common mental disorder, more than half of cases mother (53.8%) and more than one-tenth of controls mother (13.5%) were found to have common mental disorder. The study showed that children of mothers who had common mental disorder were found to be three times more likelihood of developing stunting than children whose mothers had not common mental disorder. Conclusion and Recommendation The study indicated that maternal common mental disorder was significantly associated with stunting. Therefore, emphasis should be given in preventing, managing, and maintaining maternal mental health in order to prevent stunting.
Highlights
Child malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries still continues to be an alarming
There were several studies done to assess the determinant factors of stunting; those studies were failed to address the relationship between maternal common mental disorder and stunting
The current study found out children whose mothers had common mental disorder (CMD) were found to be three times more likelihood of stunting than children whose mothers had no CMD
Summary
Child malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries still continues to be an alarming. Evidences of epidemiological studies had revealed that antenatal mental distress is a public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa [11, 12] and it is one of a risk factor that prevent children from attaining their growth potentials [8]. It has been associated with low infant birth weight, impaired postnatal growth, and increased frequency of infant diarrhoea [13], undernutrition, stunted growth, and poorer cognitive development [14]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
