Articles

Factors Causing Wasting in Toddlers: A Literature Review

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Background: Wasting is one of the acute nutritional problems in toddlers, reflecting a weight that is too low for their height. This condition can increase the risk of mortality and long-term developmental disorders. The prevalence of wasting in Indonesia in 2022 reached 7.7%, with Bandar Lampung City at 8.4%, exceeding the provincial average.

Objective: This study aims to review research articles or journals on the factors causing wasting in toddlers.

Methods: The method used in this study is a literature review sourced from the Google Scholar and PubMed databases within the period of 2020-2025. Literature selection was conducted based on inclusion and exclusion criteria determined by the researcher. This review stage includes identifying the research problem, searching for literature, presenting data, and evaluating the data.

Results: Based on the literature review collected, the causes of wasting can be categorized into direct and indirect factors. Direct factors include inadequate food intake and infectious diseases like diarrhea. Indirect factors include exclusive breastfeeding, feeding practices, and access to healthcare services. The main underlying factors are poverty, family characteristics, food distribution patterns, the mother’s education level, employment status, and household income level.

Conclusion: Wasting in young children is caused by a complex interaction between direct, indirect, and primary factors. Prevention and management efforts for wasting must be designed comprehensively, considering all contributing factors, especially improved nutritional intake, management of infectious diseases, increased maternal knowledge, and improvement of family socioeconomic conditions.

A Sociodemographic Assessment of Infant Malnutrition in Rural Area, Bangladesh: Logistic Regression Approach

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This study investigates the association between socio-demographic factors and infant child (0-1 year) malnutrition defined by underweight, stunting and wasting, in rural areas, Bangladesh. Survey data, Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019 executed by UNICEF and Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), is used in the study. The percentage of undernutrition is 17.08% for underweight out of 3571 sample, 18% for stunted out of 3504 sample, 9.8% for wasted out of 3470 sample with omitting missing value. Statistical methods, ANOVA, chi-square test and sampling weighted logistic regression model, are used to figure out impact of individual socio-demographic factors on child malnutrition. The variables gender, receiving prenatal care, delivery place, parents education, wealth index, child weight at birth, geographical division, and women age group at birth, are significantly associated with malnourished children (P-value: 1%, 5% or 10%). Odds of being malnutrition is lower among female children, educated parents and rich family. Prevalence of child underweight is higher among mother physical disability, childbirth weight. The undernutrition, stunting and wasting, are highly likely among the children of disabled mother. The presence of underweight and wasting is higher in Sylhet Division, lower in Mymenshingh Division respectively, while the prevalence of stunting is higher in Mymenshingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhhet Division.