Yếu tố liên quan đến dinh dưỡng của trẻ em dưới 5 tuổi tại thị xã Ngã Năm, tỉnh Sóc Trăng năm 2024

Malnutrition among children under five, manifesting as stunting, underweight, and wasting, remains a critical global health challenge, disproportionately affecting developing regions like Vietnam. According to WHO data, millions of young children worldwide suffer from these conditions, which impede their physical and cognitive development, increase susceptibility to illness, and impose significant long-term burdens on families and healthcare systems. In Nga Nam town, Soc Trang province, despite ongoing local initiatives to improve child health, a deeper understanding of the specific determinants influencing children's nutritional status is essential. This research aims to identify and analyze the key factors associated with malnutrition in children under five in this community, providing vital data to inform targeted and effective public health interventions.

Public health professionals, policymakers, healthcare providers, and researchers focused on child nutrition and development, particularly in Southeast Asian contexts.

This cross-sectional study meticulously investigated factors influencing the nutritional status of 300 children under five years old and their mothers in Nga Nam town, Soc Trang province. Utilizing structured questionnaires and anthropometric measurements, the research identified several critical determinants of child malnutrition. Key findings revealed that stunting was significantly associated with birth status, inadequate vitamin A supplementation, and a low-protein diet. Factors contributing to underweight included lower household economic status, insufficient vitamin A supplementation, and an overall poor child's diet. Wasting was found to be linked with the child's ethnicity, a higher number of children in the family, lack of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months, and insufficient vitamin A supplementation. Furthermore, the study explored factors related to overweight/obesity, identifying age in months, exclusive breastfeeding duration, daily screen time, and fast eating speed as significant correlates. These comprehensive results underscore the complex interplay of various socio-economic, dietary, and behavioral factors affecting the nutritional well-being of children. The study concludes by emphasizing the urgent need to strengthen targeted nutrition education for caregivers, focusing on birth care, balanced diets, adequate vitamin A intake, promotion of exclusive breastfeeding, and healthy lifestyle habits to effectively improve the overall nutritional status of children under five in the region and combat the prevalent issues of stunting, underweight, wasting, and emerging concerns of overweight/obesity.