Wang Rong, Zahid Feroz, Akram Shahla, Jan Sajjad Ahmad, Pervaiz Zahid
School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hunan Vocational College of Electronic and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, 410200, China.
Department of Medical Sciences, Al-Aleem Medical College Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
BMC Pediatr. 2025 Aug 4;25(1):598. doi: 10.1186/s12887-025-05877-1.
Child malnutrition is a critical public health concern in Pakistan, disproportionately affecting socioeconomically disadvantaged households. This study employs Amartya Sen's entitlement theory and UNICEF's malnutrition framework 2020 to examine the determinants of child malnutrition, using nationally representative data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) Wave 6. Logistic regression analysis on a sample of children aged 6-23 months reveals that parental education remains an important factor. Children of educated parents experience significantly lower malnutrition rates. Minimum dietary diversity (MDD) has been found important as fulfilling the needs of MDD reduces malnutrition risk by 22%. Household's economic status is a strong protective factor, with affluent households showing a 42% lower risk of child malnutrition. Regional disparities also remain crucial as the children belonging to Balochistan province have significantly higher risks of malnutrition. The study also conducts an in-depth analysis for rural-urban settings, noting stronger effects of MDD in urban areas than rural areas. Findings underscore the need for targeted nutrition policies and improved public health interventions to addressing child malnutrition in Pakistan.
儿童营养不良是巴基斯坦一个至关重要的公共卫生问题，对社会经济弱势家庭的影响尤为严重。本研究运用阿玛蒂亚·森的权利理论和联合国儿童基金会2020年的营养不良框架，利用多指标类集调查（MICS）第6轮具有全国代表性的数据，来研究儿童营养不良的决定因素。对6至23个月大儿童样本进行的逻辑回归分析表明，父母教育仍然是一个重要因素。受过教育的父母的孩子营养不良率显著较低。已发现最低饮食多样性（MDD）很重要，因为满足MDD需求可将营养不良风险降低22%。家庭经济状况是一个强大的保护因素，富裕家庭儿童营养不良风险低42%。地区差异也仍然至关重要，因为俾路支省的儿童营养不良风险显著更高。该研究还对城乡环境进行了深入分析，指出MDD在城市地区的影响比农村地区更强。研究结果强调了在巴基斯坦制定有针对性的营养政策和改善公共卫生干预措施以解决儿童营养不良问题的必要性。
