Secular Trends in Growth and Nutritional Outcomes of Children under Five Years Old in Xiamen, China.

Jing Chen,Guimei Li,Guozhang Zeng,Wei Chen

doi:10.3390/ijerph13111104

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine secular changes in growth and nutritional outcomes of Chinese urban children under five years old, in 2009, 2012, and 2015. Cluster random sampling methods were used to select children under five years old in Xiamen, one of five special economic zones in China. Subjects (N = 71,229) under five years old (39,413 boys, 31,816 girls) were examined at three different times (22,576 in 2009, 24,816 in 2012, and 23,837 in 2015). Significant differences in the boys’ height and weight (p < 0.05) were found across the three time points; subjects in the 2015 sample were the heaviest and tallest, and they had the highest BMI (2009 < 2015; 2012 < 2015). Among the girls, those in the 2015 sample were similar to the boys (2009 < 2012; 2012 < 2015). In general, similar patterns were observed when mean values were analyzed by age. An increasing trend was found in the prevalence of overweight and obesity and a decreasing trend for stunting, underweight, and wasting. The results revealed that the burden of childhood under- and over-nutrition might constitute a public health concern in modern China.

Highlights

In many developing countries, child malnutrition is a long-term and persistent public health problem [1], which may lead to underweight, wasting, or stunting
Our research shows that the changes in the prevalence of malnutrition and obesity were age-specific in Xiamen, China
The underlying cause of these age and gender-specific patterns is largely unknown. We found that both obesity and being overweight were higher in boys than in girls across the three time points (2009, 2012, and 2015)

Summary

Introduction

Child malnutrition is a long-term and persistent public health problem [1], which may lead to underweight, wasting, or stunting. Global data show that the prevalence of children’s stunting and wasting has been falling [1], this unfortunate situation remains a public health challenge, especially in developing countries. Malnutrition persists in some places around the world, the prevalence of pediatric overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide [3]. The increasing incidence of obesity among young people is considered a serious public health problem because it is closely related to adult obesity and its complications. The incidence of obesity continues to increase rapidly in most countries

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