Risk fators of stunting in some communes of ecological regions in Viet Nam

Based on the results of the household cross-sectional study on stunting and its risk fators during 2002-2003 in 32 communes of 8 regions in Viet Nam, authours focused on analyzing the relation between stunting and socio-economic factors at household level. The results of logistic regression showed that stunting was closely related to the height of mother, BMI of mother, birth intervals, and parent’s education level. Children who were sick in the first year of life were at higher risk with stunting (OR=2.5).There was also a strong relation between stunting and household’s living standards (stunting rates were 13,1%, 24,1%, 30.2%, 38.0% and 44.2% in the richest, the mid-upper, the middle, the low-mid and the poorest quintiles, respectively).

The progress of stunting malnutrition in children under five years old from 1990 to 2004

The progress of stunting reduction was examined through national surveys on malnutrition in children under 5 years old from 1990 to 2004. The prevalence of stunting in Vietnam has been experienced a rapid rate of progress. The prevalence of stunting in children was 53.4% in 1990. By 2004 it had dropped to 30.7%. rate of progress in reducing stunting was -1.5 percentage points per year in the period of time from 1990 to 2004. There was a change in stunting pattern. The results of surveys done before 2000 showed that the prevalence of stunting continued to increase in children above two years old. The results in a recent surveys showed that the prevalence of stunting increased rapidly in the first two years of life, and still remained the same or even did not increase any more after the first two years of life. This implies that the strategy of health and nutrition care for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and children under two years old should be given a priority.