Nutritional status of under-five children in Bangladesh: a multilevel analysis

J Biosoc Sci. 2012 Sep;44(5):525-35. doi: 10.1017/S0021932012000181. Epub 2012 Apr 24.

Abstract

The nutritional status of under-five children is a sensitive sign of a country's health status as well as economic condition. This study investigated the differential impact of some demographic, socioeconomic, environmental and health-related factors on the nutritional status among under-five children in Bangladesh using Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2007 data. Two-level random intercept binary logistic regression models were used to identify the determinants of under-five malnutrition. The analyses revealed that 16% of the children were severely stunted and 25% were moderately stunted. Among the children under five years of age 3% were severely wasted and 14% were moderately wasted. Furthermore, 11% of the children were severely underweight and 28% were moderately underweight. The main contributing factors for under-five malnutrition were found to be child's age, mother's education, father's education, father's occupation, family wealth index, currently breast-feeding, place of delivery and division. Significant community-level variations were found in the analyses.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Bangladesh / epidemiology
  • Child
  • Child Nutrition Disorders / epidemiology
  • Child, Preschool
  • Educational Status
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nutrition Surveys
  • Nutritional Status*
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Thinness / epidemiology