POPLINE Document Number: 194586
Author(s):
Caulfield LE
de Onis M
Blössner M
Black RE
Source citation:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004 Jul 1;80(1):193-198.
Abstract:
Previous analyses derived the relative risk (RR) of dying as a result of low weight-for-age and calculated the proportion of child deaths worldwide attributable to underweight. The objectives were to examine whether the risk of dying because of underweight varies by cause of death and to estimate the fraction of deaths by cause attributable to underweight. Data were obtained from investigators of 10 cohort studies with both weight-for-age category (<-3 SDs,-3 to<-2 SDs,-2 to <-1 SD, and >-1 SD) and cause of death information. All 10 studies contributed information on weight-for-age and risk of diarrhea, pneumonia, and all-cause mortality; however, only 6 studies contributed information on deaths because of measles, and only 3 studies contributed information on deaths because of malaria or fever. With use of weighted random effects models, we related the log mortality rate by cause and anthropometric status in each study to derive cause-specific RRs of dying because of undernutrition. Prevalences of each weight-for-age category were obtained from analyses of 310 national nutrition surveys. With use of the RR and prevalence information, we then calculated the fraction of deaths by cause attributable to undernutrition. The RR of mortality because of low weight-for-age was elevated for each cause of death and for all-cause mortality. Overall, 52.5% of all deaths in young children were attributable to undernutrition, varying from 44.8% for deaths because of measles to 60.7% for deaths because of diarrhea. A significant proportion of deaths in young children worldwide is attributable to low weight-for-age, and efforts to reduce malnutrition should be a policy priority. (author's)
Keywords:
Developing CountriesIndex page
Literature Review
Cohort Analysis
Child
Malnutrition
Child Nutrition
Child Mortality
Diarrhea
Pneumonia
Malaria
Measles
Body Weight
Research Methodology
Youth
Age Factors
Population Characteristics
Demographic Factors
Population
Nutrition Disorders
Diseases
Nutrition
Health
Mortality
Population Dynamics
Pulmonary Effects
Physiology
Biology
Parasitic Diseases
Viral Diseases