Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2022
DOI
10.26719/emhj.22.043
Publication Title
Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal
Volume
28
Issue
6
Pages
407-417
Abstract
Background: There is a paucity of data on the secular trends of stunting and overweight among children aged < 5 years in oil-rich countries in the Middle East.
Aims: To examine the secular trends of stunting, underweight and overweight in children aged < 5 years in Kuwait between 2007 and 2019.
Methods: We used large individual data records (n=48 108) from the Kuwait Nutritional Surveillance System (KNSS) to calculate height/length-for-age z score (HAZ), weight-for-age z score and body mass index (BMI)-for-age z score using World Health Organization growth references. Stunting and underweight were defined as less than -2 standard deviation (SD) and overweight (including obesity) as ≥ 2 SD. Trends of stunting, underweight and overweight were investigated using logistic regression models.
Results: The prevalence of stunting, underweight and overweight was 5.15%, 2.33% and 10.78%, respectively. Stunting increased during the study period, among children aged < 2 years. There was no increasing trend in overweight during the study period. These findings were corroborated by the distribution of HAZ and BMI-for-age z scores. Current prevalence of combined stunting and overweight was 1.53% in boys and 1.98% in girls.
Conclusion: Current prevalence of stunting and underweight is low in Kuwait indicating that undernutrition is no longer a major public health issue. There is a tendency for stunting to increase in children aged less than 2 years, highlighting the need to investigate early causes of stunting such as maternal and pregnancy-related factors.
Original Publication Citation
Alqaoud, N., & Al-Taiar, A. (2022). Trends of stunting, underweight and overweight among children aged < 5 years in Kuwait: Findings from Kuwait nutritional surveillance system (2007-2019). Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 28(6), 407-417. https://doi.org/10.26719/emhj.22.043
ORCID
0000-0001-7421-3381 (Al-Taiar)
Repository Citation
Alqaoud, Nawal and Al-Taiar, Abdullah, "Trends in Stunting, Underweight and Overweight Among Children Aged < 5 Years in Kuwait: Findings From Kuwait Nutritional Surveillance System (2007-2019)" (2022). Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications. 137.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/commhealth_fac_pubs/137
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Commons, Endocrine System Commons, Endocrine System Diseases Commons, Pediatrics Commons
Comments
Copyright © World Health Organization (WHO) 2022.
This work is available under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO) license.
Publisher's landing page available at: http://www.emro.who.int/emhj-volume-28-2022/volume-28-issue-6/trends-of-stunting-underweight-and-overweight-among-children-aged-less-than-5-years-in-kuwait.html