Abstract ID: 40
Authors:
Shuvagato Mondal
Kinley Wangdi
Darren James Gray
Matthew Kelly
Haribondhu Sarma
Affiliations:
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; HEAL Global Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia; Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
Abstract:Background: Despite considerable progress in eliminating malnutrition, Bangladesh continues to experience a high prevalence of child malnutrition, particularly, in climate-vulnerable coastal regions. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the current prevalence of child malnutrition and identify its associated risk factors across the coastal regions of Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in three purposively selected coastal districts representing distinct coastal parts of Bangladesh. Data were collected from 469 randomly selected households using a three-stage cluster sampling approach, including anthropometric measurements of children aged 6 59 months and structured interviews with their mothers. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify the risk factors of child malnutrition. Results: The study revealed that, more than half of the children (54.4%) were stunted, one in four (25.2%) were underweight and nearly one in ten (9.4%) were wasted, with 61.6% experiencing at least one form of anthropometric failure. Multivariable logistic regression showed that, children aged 24 35 months were 54% (AOR=0.46, 95% CI: 0.22 0.98) and 48 59 months 60% (AOR=0.40, 95% CI: 0.18 0.88) less likely to be malnourished compared to those aged 6 11 months. Higher odds were observed among children from poor households (AOR=2.15, 95% CI: 1.07 4.30), food-insecure households (mild: AOR=2.13; severe: AOR=3.66), and those lacking basic drinking water (AOR=2.66) or sanitation (AOR=1.93) facilities. Children born to underweight mothers had 2.77 (AOR= 2.77, 95% CI: 1.09 7.04) times higher odds of being malnourished compared to their normal counterparts. Conclusions: Findings of the study highlight the persistent burden of child malnutrition in coastal Bangladesh focusing the significant influence of household poverty, food insecurity, inadequate WASH access and maternal undernutrition. Targeted and multisectoral interventions addressing these intersecting vulnerabilities are essential to improve child nutritional outcomes in climate-sensitive coastal settings.
Keywords: Global Health Nutrition, Child, Malnutrition, Factors, Coastal, Bangladesh
