Ethnic Variations in Nutritional Status among Preschool Children in Northern Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional Study

Thi Tuyet Le, Thi Thuy Dung Le, Nam Khanh Do, V. Savvina Nadezhda, M. Grjibovski Andrej, Thi Trung Thu Nguyen, Thi Thanh Mai Nguyen, Thi Tuyen Vu, Thi Huong Le, Thi Thu Lieu Nguyen and Thi Anh Dao Duong
Additional contact information
Thi Tuyet Le: Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Hanoi National University of Education, 136 Xuan Thuy Street, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Thi Thuy Dung Le: Department of Pediatrics, Hanoi Medical University, 1 Ton That Tung Street, Dongda District, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Nam Khanh Do: Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, 1 Ton That Tung Street, Dongda District, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
V. Savvina Nadezhda: Central Scientific Research Laboratory, Northern State Medical University, 163000 Arkhangelsk, Russia
M. Grjibovski Andrej: Department of Public Health, Healthcare, General Hygiene and Bioethics, North-Eastern Federal University, 677000 Yakutsk, Russia
Thi Trung Thu Nguyen: Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Hanoi National University of Education, 136 Xuan Thuy Street, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Thi Thanh Mai Nguyen: Department of Pediatrics, Hanoi Medical University, 1 Ton That Tung Street, Dongda District, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Thi Tuyen Vu: Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, 1 Ton That Tung Street, Dongda District, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Thi Huong Le: Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, 1 Ton That Tung Street, Dongda District, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Thi Thu Lieu Nguyen: Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, 1 Ton That Tung Street, Dongda District, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Thi Anh Dao Duong: Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Hanoi National University of Education, 136 Xuan Thuy Street, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-11

Abstract: (1) Background: Vietnam is a multiethnic country undergoing rapid economic development, the improvement in nutritional status in preschool children is not equally shared by all ethnic groups; (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed from September–December 2018 on 16,177 children aged 24–60 months representing Kinh ( n = 14421), Muong ( n = 1307) and Tay ( n = 449) ethnic groups. Prevalence of malnutrition, overweight, obesity and anthropometric indices were compared across ethnic groups, using WHO 2006 child growth standards; (3) Results: The prevalence of malnutrition among children of Kinh, Muong and Tay origins was 14.7%, 34.3% and 43.2%, respectively. The corresponding data for overweight was 5.5%, 2.7%, 2.2% and for obesity 2.8%, 0.8% and 0.4%, respectively. The prevalence of stunting remained the highest in three subtypes of malnutrition in all ethnic groups. Kinh children were heavier and taller than the other groups, while Muong children were taller than Tay children ( p -value < 0.001); and (4) Conclusions: Malnutrition remains a major public health issue among children of minor ethnicities while overweight and obesity is an emerging challenge for the Kinh ethnic group. The results imply that a community-based intervention should be specific to ethnicity to reduce the gap in nutritional status between ethnic groups in Vietnam.

Keywords: nutritional status; preschool children; minor ethnicity; Vietnam (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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