Association between paternal smoking and nutritional status of under-five children attending Diarrhoeal Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
OBJECTIVE
The study aimed at determining whether there is an association between paternal smoking and nutritional status of children aged 0-59 months. Furthermore, the study looked at the presence of any nutritional differentials within different socio-economic groups.


METHODS
Secondary analysis of data on children aged 0-59 months enrolled in the Hospital Surveillance System of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka Hospital, Bangladesh, during 1996-2006.


RESULTS
Among 13,555 under-five children, fathers of 49% were smokers. In multivariate logistic regression models adjusting for potential confounders, fathers' smoking was significantly associated with increased risk of moderate underweight (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.08-1.25), severe underweight (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06-1.26), moderate stunting (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06-1.23) and severe stunting (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03-1.25). In middle and lower socio-economic strata, risk of moderate and severe child malnutrition was found to be significantly increased in the group where the father was a smoker.


CONCLUSIONS
Results indicate that there is an association between fathers' smoking and malnutrition of under-five children particularly in lower socio-economic group. A possible mechanism - if this association is causal - may be through a negative effect on family economy.
Executive Director's Division, ICDDR,B, Mohakhali, Dhaka, Bangladesh. fahmida_chow@icddrb.org
Fahmida
F
Chowdhury
Mohammod Jobayer
MJ
Chisti
Md Iqbal
MI
Hossain
Mohammad Abdul
MA
Malek
Mohammed Abdus
MA
Salam
Abu Syed Golam
AS
Faruque
D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors