Saha Kuntal K, Frongillo Edward A, Alam Dewan S, Arifeen Shams E, Persson Lars A, Rasmussen Kathleen M
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, GPO Box 128, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh.
Public Health Nutr. 2009 Sep;12(9):1556-62. doi: 10.1017/S1368980009004765. Epub 2009 Feb 23.
Despite a strong relationship between household food security and the health and nutritional status of adults and older children, the association of household food security with the growth of infants and young children has not been adequately studied, particularly in developing countries. We examined the association between household food security and subsequent growth of infants and young children in rural Bangladesh.
We followed 1343 children from birth to 24 months of age who were born in the Maternal and Infant Nutrition Intervention in Matlab (MINIMat) study in rural Bangladesh. A food security scale was created from data collected on household food security from the mothers during pregnancy. Data on weight and length were collected monthly in the first year and quarterly in the second year of life. Anthropometric indices were calculated relative to the 2006 WHO child growth standards. Growth trajectories were modelled using multilevel models for change controlling for possible confounders.
Household food security was associated (P < 0.05) with greater subsequent weight and length gain in this cohort. Attained weight, length and anthropometric indices from birth to 24 months were higher (P < 0.001) among those who were in food-secure households. Proportions of underweight and stunting were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in food-secure households.
These results suggest that household food security is a determinant of child growth in rural Bangladesh, and that it may be necessary to ensure food security of these poor rural households to prevent highly prevalent undernutrition in this population and in similar settings elsewhere in the world.
尽管家庭粮食安全与成年人及大龄儿童的健康和营养状况之间存在密切关系，但家庭粮食安全与婴幼儿生长之间的关联尚未得到充分研究，尤其是在发展中国家。我们研究了孟加拉国农村地区家庭粮食安全与婴幼儿后续生长之间的关联。
我们追踪了1343名在孟加拉国农村地区的Matlab母婴营养干预研究（MINIMat）中出生的儿童，从出生到24个月龄。根据母亲在孕期收集的家庭粮食安全数据创建了一个粮食安全量表。在生命的第一年每月收集体重和身长数据，第二年每季度收集一次。根据2006年世界卫生组织儿童生长标准计算人体测量指数。使用多级变化模型对生长轨迹进行建模，控制可能的混杂因素。
在该队列中，家庭粮食安全与随后更大的体重和身长增长相关（P < 0.05）。在粮食安全家庭中的儿童，从出生到24个月龄时达到的体重、身长和人体测量指数更高（P < 0.001）。粮食安全家庭中体重不足和发育迟缓的比例显著更低（P < 0.05）。
这些结果表明，家庭粮食安全是孟加拉国农村地区儿童生长发育的一个决定因素，可能有必要确保这些贫困农村家庭的粮食安全，以预防该人群以及世界其他类似地区普遍存在的营养不良问题。
