Prevalence and determinants of stunting and overweight in 3-year-old black South African children residing in the Central Region of Limpopo Province, South Africa.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of stunting, wasting and overweight and their determinants in 3-year-old children in the Central Region of Limpopo Province, South Africa.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study.


METHODS
Rural villages in the Central Region of the Limpopo Province, South Africa.


METHODS
One hundred and sixty-two children who were followed from birth were included in the study. Anthropometric measurements and sociodemographic characteristics of the children were recorded.


RESULTS
Height-for-age Z-scores were low, with a high prevalence of stunting (48%). The children also exhibited a high prevalence of overweight (22%) and obesity (24%). Thirty-one (19%) children were both stunted and overweight. Gaining more weight within the first year of life increased the risk of being overweight at 3 years by 2.39 times (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.96-4.18) while having a greater length at 1 year was protective against stunting (odds ratio (OR) 0.41; 95% CI 0.17-0.97). Having a mother as a student increased the risk for stunting at 3 years by 18.21 times (95% CI 9.46-34.74) while having a working mother increased the risk for overweight by 17.87 times (95% CI 8.24-38.78). All these factors also appeared as risks or as being protective in children who were both overweight and stunted, as did living in a household having nine or more persons (OR 5.72; 95% CI 2.7-12.10).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study highlight the importance of evaluating anthropometric status in terms of both stunting and overweight. Furthermore, it is important to realise the importance of normal length and weight being attained at 1 year of age, since these in turn predict nutritional status at 3 years of age.
Mamabolo
Ramoteme L
RL
Medical Sciences Programme, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa. Lesley.mamabolo@mrc.ac.za
Alberts
Marianne
M
Steyn
Nelia P
NP
Delemarre-van de Waal
Henriette A
HA
Levitt
Naomi S
NS
D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004522:Educational Status; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology