Vella V, Tomkins A, Borghesi A, Migliori G B, Oryem V Y
World Bank, Washington, DC 20433.
Int J Epidemiol. 1994 Aug;23(4):782-6. doi: 10.1093/ije/23.4.782.
Socioeconomic deprivation is associated with unhealthy living conditions and insufficient nutrient intake which affect linear growth. This study investigates the major risk factors which influence stunting in Northwest Uganda, the age range at which growth failure is more likely to occur, and the age at which chances of recovery are higher.
In February-March 1987, 1072 children < 5 years, were selected from 30 villages in Arua district (Northwest Uganda) and included in a longitudinal study. The children were measured for length and height; household socioeconomic and environmental variables were collected in order to assess risk factors for the future development of stunting. Two years after baseline, the height of the children was measured again.
Children who were < 29 months old at baseline were at higher risk for linear growth faltering in the following 2 years; income, mother's education and presence of stunting at baseline were significant predictors of stunting. However, being stunted at age < 6 months or between 54 and 59 months old carried the same risk of remaining stunted after 2 years, and the probability of recovering from stunting was the same in every age group.
These results suggest that, in this population, linear growth is influenced by environmental factors. It is a dynamic process continuing beyond the first 2-3 years of life, and the probability of catching up is very similar across all age groups < 5 years old. Recovery from stunting is more associated with mother's education than with income.
社会经济贫困与不健康的生活条件和营养摄入不足相关，这会影响线性生长。本研究调查了影响乌干达西北部发育迟缓的主要风险因素、生长发育失败更易发生的年龄范围以及恢复几率更高的年龄。
1987年2月至3月，从阿鲁阿区（乌干达西北部）的30个村庄选取了1072名5岁以下儿童纳入一项纵向研究。测量了这些儿童的身长和身高；收集了家庭社会经济和环境变量，以评估发育迟缓未来发展的风险因素。基线两年后，再次测量了儿童的身高。
基线时年龄小于29个月的儿童在接下来两年中线性生长发育迟缓的风险更高；收入、母亲教育程度以及基线时的发育迟缓情况是发育迟缓的重要预测因素。然而，6个月以下或54至59个月大时发育迟缓的儿童在2年后仍发育迟缓的风险相同，且每个年龄组从发育迟缓中恢复的概率相同。
这些结果表明，在该人群中，线性生长受环境因素影响。这是一个在生命最初2至3年后仍持续的动态过程，且所有5岁以下年龄组追赶生长的概率非常相似。从发育迟缓中恢复与母亲的教育程度而非收入更相关。
