Health Research Group, Department of Statistics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, 6205, Bangladesh.
Department of Anthropology, UGC-NET), West Bengal State University, West Bengal, India.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Oct 28;24(1):2975. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20487-9.
Inadequate nutrition of school-going children is a major concern in Bangladesh, and it can negatively affect their productivity. It is important to consider the food pattern, socio-cultural, and economic differences between tribal (T) and non-tribal (NT) communities in Bangladesh when evaluating their nutritional status. This study aimed to investigate the nutritional status of school-going children in the rural area of Rajshahi district's High Barind Tract (HBT) region of Bangladesh. Additionally, we compared the nutritional status between T and NT school-going children in the same area.
This was a cross sectional household study. Data were collected from T and NT households in the HBT region in the Rajshahi district of Bangladesh, from January to June of 2019. A total of 500 (T 81, NT 419) school-going children aged 6-13 years were selected as samples using mixed sampling, including convenience sampling (non-probability) and simple random sampling (probability) methods. Nutritional status was assessed using body mass index-for-age z-score (BAZ) and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) according to WHO guidelines. Thinness was defined as BAZ < -2SD and stunting as HAZ < -2SD. Descriptive statistics, Z-proportional test, and logistic regression model were used to analyze the effect of selected independent variables on nutritional status of T and NT children.
Among school-going children, 15.20% were suffering from thinness (T 12.30% and NT 15.80%) and 17.80% stunting (T 13.60% and NT 18.60%), respectively. The difference in thinness (p > 0.05) and stunting (p > 0.05) were not significant between T and NT. The distribution of BAZ and HAZ of T and NT children were normally distributed, and were positioned negatively compared to the WHO standards. The logistic model identified the following factors for thinness: (i) mother with non-or-primary education (aOR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.05-3.43, p < 0.05), (ii) underweight mother (aOR = 3.86, 95% CI: 1.48-10.06, p < 0.01), and (iii) underweight father (aOR = 4.12, 95% CI: 1.50-11.29, p < 0.01). For stunting, the factors were: (i) mother as a housewife (aOR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.16-6.71, p < 0.05), (ii) father working as labour (aOR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.01-3.278, p < 0.05), (iii) severe food insecurity in the household (aOR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.23-4.54, p < 0.05), and (iv) children playing outside regularly more than 2 h (aOR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.31-3.67, p < 0.01).
In rural Bangladesh, the nutritional status of T and NT school-going children did not show significant defferences. However, the mean z-score values for both groups of children were lower than the WHO standard, indicating that both communities have poor nutritional status.
在孟加拉国，在校儿童营养不足是一个主要问题，这可能会对他们的生产力产生负面影响。在评估其营养状况时，需要考虑孟加拉国部落（T）和非部落（NT）社区之间的食物模式、社会文化和经济差异。本研究旨在调查孟加拉国拉杰沙希区高巴林特区（HBT）农村地区在校儿童的营养状况。此外，我们比较了同一地区 T 和 NT 在校儿童的营养状况。
这是一项横断面家庭研究。数据来自 2019 年 1 月至 6 月期间孟加拉国拉杰沙希区 HBT 地区的 T 和 NT 家庭。采用混合抽样法（便利抽样（非概率）和简单随机抽样（概率））从 6-13 岁的 T（81 人）和 NT（419 人）在校儿童中选择了 500 名作为样本。根据世卫组织指南，使用体重指数年龄 z 评分（BAZ）和身高年龄 z 评分（HAZ）评估营养状况。消瘦定义为 BAZ < -2SD 和发育迟缓为 HAZ < -2SD。使用描述性统计、Z 比例检验和逻辑回归模型分析选定的自变量对 T 和 NT 儿童营养状况的影响。
在校儿童中，15.20%的儿童消瘦（T 为 12.30%，NT 为 15.80%），17.80%的儿童发育迟缓（T 为 13.60%，NT 为 18.60%）。T 和 NT 之间消瘦（p>0.05）和发育迟缓（p>0.05）的差异无统计学意义。T 和 NT 儿童的 BAZ 和 HAZ 分布呈正态分布，与世卫组织标准相比呈负分布。逻辑模型确定了消瘦的以下因素：（i）母亲未受过或接受过小学教育（OR=1.89，95%CI：1.05-3.43，p<0.05），（ii）母亲体重过轻（OR=3.86，95%CI：1.48-10.06，p<0.01），（iii）父亲体重过轻（OR=4.12，95%CI：1.50-11.29，p<0.01）。对于发育迟缓，因素是：（i）母亲是家庭主妇（OR=2.79，95%CI：1.16-6.71，p<0.05），（ii）父亲从事体力劳动（OR=1.77，95%CI：1.01-3.278，p<0.05），（iii）家庭严重粮食不安全（OR=2.37，95%CI：1.23-4.54，p<0.05），（iv）儿童经常在外面玩耍超过 2 小时（OR=2.19，95%CI：1.31-3.67，p<0.05）。
在孟加拉国农村，T 和 NT 在校儿童的营养状况没有显著差异。然而，两组儿童的平均 z 评分均低于世卫组织标准，表明这两个社区的营养状况都很差。
