Prevalence and Risk of Moderate Stunting Among a Sample of Children Aged 0–24 Months in Brunei

Abstract

Objectives Globally, one-fifth of the world's children are stunted, however this statistic may be an underestimate as many countries lack comprehensive monitoring of height-for-age. Until a recent national health survey, Negara Brunei Darussalam has lacked the data to offer a comprehensive assessment of height-for-age among children. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with stunting among children aged 0–24 months in Negara Brunei Darussalam (Brunei). Methods A cross-sectional analyses of 396 children aged <24 months. Demographic, dietary and anthropometric measurements were recorded. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse factors associated with moderate stunting. Results Almost one-quarter of infants (24%) were stunted. Male children and children who were preterm (<37 weeks gestation) were more than twice as likely to be stunted as their counterparts, respectively (OR 2.48; 95% CI 1.49–4.12; OR 2.14; 95% CI 1.06–4.33, respectively). Those who were born low birth weight (<2.5 kg) were three times more likely to be stunted than those born normal birth weight (OR 2.99; 95% CI 1.44–6.17). Conclusions for Practice This study presents data on prevalence of stunting in Brunei based upon the World Health Organization's growth charts. In addition it is also the first time that the factors associated with stunting among infants aged <24 months have been examined in Brunei. The stunting prevalence in Brunei is of concern due to the reported short and long-term negative impact on health later in life. The authors recommend close monitoring of pregnant women who are at risk of delivering low birth weight infants and frequent monitoring of low birth weight infants in line with World Health Organization nutrition goals. Existing height-for-age data should be integrated into global databases.