Selected Socio-economic, Environmental, Maternal, and Child Factors Associated with the Nutritional Status of Infants and Toddlers

Abstract

Researchers studied the nutritional status of 786 children (0-3 years old) form urban slums and rural villages in Gujarat state India. Overall 52% of the infants were nutritionally sound while only 20% of the toddlers were such. In addition only 6% of the infants were identified as severely malnourished whereas 18% of the toddlers were severely malnourished. Those infants whose families of high per capita income (p 45 kg (p.05) stood >145 cm tall (p 145 cm and 64% of them had mothers who weighed >45 k. Several socioeconomic factors contributed significantly to the nutritional status of toddlers. Healthy toddlers were more likely to be Muslim (p 9 members (p 2 hectares in rural areas (p 45 kg (p<.01). Male children were less likely to be malnourished (p<.01) than females. Good clinical status children were never malnourished (p<.001).