School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Private Bag 360, Chichiri, Blantyre, 3, Malawi.
Nutr J. 2019 Sep 2;18(1):51. doi: 10.1186/s12937-019-0477-8.
Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person's intake of energy and/or nutrients. The term malnutrition is a broad term encompassing the three conditions namely undernutrition (micronutrient-related malnutrition), over-nutrition (overweight and obesity), and diet-related non-communicable diseases. Undernutrition is defined as the outcome of insufficient food intake and repeated infectious diseases. Low birth weight (LBW) is cited as a risk factor for mortality and morbidity in young children. However, its association with undernutrition has received little attention. Thus, the current study aimed to examine the relationship between LBW and undernutrition in Malawi.
A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) 2015-16. Children whose Z-scores for each of the following indices height-for-age, weight-for-height, and weight-for-age were below the minus two standard deviations (-2SD) from the median of the World Health Organization's (WHO) reference population were considered to be stunted, wasted and underweight, respectively. LBW was defined as babies whose birth weight was less than 2500 g. The multivariate logistic regression models were performed using surveylogistic while controlling various confounding factors in the six different models.
The prevalence of stunted, underweight, wasted, and LBW were reported as follows, 39%. 11, 2, and 10% respectively. Compared to children with normal/average birth weight, those with LBW had significantly higher odds of being stunted [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.72; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.35-2.20), underweight (aOR: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.68-3.14) and wasted (aOR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.38-4.25) respectively.
LBW was a strong predictor of all the three indices of undernutrition. Interventions that aim at improving the growth and development of children during the early years should consider addressing factors that trigger LBW.
营养不良是指一个人摄入的能量和/或营养素不足、过量或不平衡。营养不良是一个广义的术语，包括三种情况，即营养不足（与微量营养素相关的营养不良）、营养过剩（超重和肥胖）和与饮食相关的非传染性疾病。营养不足是由食物摄入不足和反复感染性疾病引起的结果。低出生体重（LBW）被认为是幼儿死亡和发病的一个风险因素。然而，其与营养不足的关系却很少受到关注。因此，本研究旨在探讨马拉维 LBW 与营养不足之间的关系。
本研究使用 2015-16 年马拉维人口与健康调查（MDHS）的数据进行了横断面研究。将以下每个指数的 Z 分数低于世界卫生组织（WHO）参考人群中位数负两个标准差（-2SD）的儿童定义为身高发育迟缓、消瘦和体重不足：身高与年龄、身高与体重、体重与年龄。LBW 定义为出生体重低于 2500 克的婴儿。使用 surveylogistic 进行多变量逻辑回归模型分析，并在六个不同模型中控制了各种混杂因素。
报告的发育迟缓、体重不足、消瘦和 LBW 的患病率分别为 39%、11%、2%和 10%。与正常/平均出生体重的儿童相比，LBW 儿童发育迟缓的可能性显著更高[校正比值比（aOR）：1.72；95%置信区间（CI）：1.35-2.20）、体重不足（aOR：2.30；95% CI：1.68-3.14）和消瘦（aOR：1.47；95% CI：1.38-4.25）。
LBW 是所有三种营养不足指标的有力预测指标。旨在改善儿童早期生长和发育的干预措施应考虑解决引发 LBW 的因素。
