Stagnant Stunting Rate Despite Rapid Economic Growth in Papua New Guinea : Factors Correlated with Malnutrition among Children under Five

Hou, Xiaohui

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: CHILD HEALTH;    BIRTH;    POVERTY LINE;    ECONOMIC GROWTH;    DIETARY IMPROVEMENT;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-7301
RP-ID  :  WPS7301

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Maternal and child undernutrition is apervasive and detrimental condition in Papua New Guinea.Despite rapid economic growth during the past decade, thestunting rate for children under 5, one of the primaryindicators for child undernutrition, was estimated at 46percent in Papua New Guinea in 2010, stagnant from 44percent in 2005. This paper analyzes the association betweenthe demographic, socioeconomic, environmental, andhealth-related factors on nutritional status for childrenunder age 5 years, using the 2009–10 Papua New GuineaHousehold Income and Expenditure Survey. Stunting andunderweight rates sharply rise in the first 24 months. Evenin the better-off quintiles, children suffer from suboptimalbreastfeeding and complementary food in the first 24 months.In general, the regression results showed that householdwealth and geographic location are crucial factors thatcontribute to children’s malnutrition. More importantly,food quality, measured by protein intake, has significantpredicting power on child malnutrition. Broadly increasingsocioeconomic status and improving the quantity and qualityof caloric intake are general steps to improving healthoutcomes in Papua New Guinea.In addition, three key areaswere identified as critical to alleviating the persistentand detrimental stunting rate in the country: (1) exclusivebreastfeeding and complementary food; (2) interventions byhealth workers; and (3) nutrition education.