Introduction: Residential settlement is seen as a contributing factor to the diet of children. This study aimed to investigate infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices between coastal and inland communities of Camarines Sur, Philippines. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 628 caregivers of infants and young children aged 0-23.9 months. Socio-demographic data were gathered. IYCF practices were assessed through face-to-face interviews using a list of indicators from World Health Organization guidelines. Descriptive and inferential statistics using chi-square test of association were done. Results: The majority of children were breastfed (coastal=97.1%; inland=96.8%; p=0.83), with most breastfed within 1 hour after birth (coastal areas 85.3%; inland areas 86.7%). However, the practice of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months was low for both areas (57.0% and 47.0%, respectively, p=0.58). Minimum meal frequency, continued breastfeeding until 23.9 months, and appropriate complementary feeding for children 6-8 months were also low in both areas. Meanwhile, unhealthy food consumption (inland: 85.4%; coastal: 79.8%) and zero consumption of vegetables or fruits were higher in inland areas. Consumption of meat products and sweet beverages was observed to be higher in coastal areas (coastal: 26.8%; inland: 16.9%). Conclusion: Minimal differences were seen in IYCF practices of caregivers between coastal and inland communities. However, the study found a notable difference in the consumption of sweet beverages, where coastal areas had significantly higher rates. This suggests that interventions must be made to educate caregivers to improve the diets of infants and young children

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the determinants linked to stunting among infants and young children aged 0-23 months in the Fourth District of Camarines Sur.

METHODS

An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 628 primary caregivers with infants and young children aged 0-23 months in four municipalities of the Fourth District of Camarines Sur, Philippines, using a two stage stratified random sampling design. Data on sociodemographic and economic factors were collected through face-to-face interviews. Infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators were assessed using a list-based approach, while weight and length were evaluated using the World Health Organization Anthro Plus software. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were done using R statistical software version 4.3.1.

RESULTS

The study revealed that the prevalence of stunting was of significant public health concern, reaching 42.8%. Holding other variables constant, age of the child (OR=0.77; 95% CI: 0.63-0.94), having college undergraduate mothers (OR=0.26; 95% CI: 0.05-1.28), and belonging to a poor income household (OR=0.40; 95% CI: 0.14-0.88) were associated with stunting among infants aged 0.01-6.00 months. Moreover, after controlling for the confounding effects of other variables, age (OR=1.09; 95% CI: 1.05-1.14) and sex of the child (OR=1.55; 95% CI: 1.05-2.28) were associated with stunting among older children aged 6.00-23.99 months.

CONCLUSION

This study emphasizes the challenge of stunting in the Fourth District of Camarines Sur. None of the IYCF indicators were associated with stunting; however, maternal education, the child’s age, sex, and socioeconomic status were identified as significant factors influencing stunting. Addressing these determinants through targeted interventions focusing on improving maternal education and enhancing socio-economic conditions were crucial to reducing stunting in the study areas.

Human ; Growth Disorders ; Risk Factors ; Nutritional Status ; Infant Nutrition Disorders

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the determinants linked to stunting among infants and young children aged 0-23 months in the Fourth District of Camarines Sur. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 628 primary caregivers with infants and young children aged 0-23 months in four municipalities of the Fourth District of Camarines Sur, Philippines, using a twostage stratified random sampling design. Data on sociodemographic and economic factors were collected through face-to-face interviews. Infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators were assessed using a list-based approach, while weight and length were evaluated using the World Health Organization Anthro Plus software. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were done using R statistical software version 4.3.1. Results: The study revealed that the prevalence of stunting was of significant public health concern, reaching 42.8%. Holding other variables constant, age of the child (OR=0.77; 95% CI: 0.63-0.94), having college undergraduate mothers (OR=0.26; 95% CI: 0.05-1.28), and belonging to a poor income household (OR=0.40; 95% CI: 0.14-0.88) were associated with stunting among infants aged 0.01-6.00 months. Moreover, after controlling for the confounding effects of other variables, age (OR=1.09; 95% CI: 1.05-1.14) and sex of the child (OR=1.55; 95% CI: 1.05-2.28) were associated with stunting among older children aged 6.00-23.99 months. Conclusion This study emphasizes the challenge of stunting in the Fourth District of Camarines Sur. None of the IYCF indicators were associated with stunting; however, maternal education, the child’s age, sex, and socioeconomic status were identified as significant factors influencing stunting. Addressing these determinants through targeted interventions focusing on improving maternal education and enhancing socio-economic conditions were crucial to reducing stunting in the study areas.
Human ; growth disorders ; risk factors ; nutritional status ; infant nutrition disorders

Introduction: The majority of Filipino households experience food insecurity. Mothers and children are among the population groups suffering from poor diet quality. This study aimed to determine the extent of the association of household food security (HFS) to mothers’ and children’s dietary diversity score (DDS), and to identify the significant factors associated with meeting the DDS of these vulnerable groups. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional, population-based study utilising secondary data from the 2015 Updating Survey. From a total of 6,692 mother-child pairs, the association between HFS and meeting the DDS of mothers and children, as well as the potential predictors for meeting the DDS were tested using descriptive and logistic regression analyses. Results: The findings showed that HFS was significantly associated with meeting the DDS of mothers and children aged 6-36 months (p<0.001). The proportion of meeting the DDS among mothers and children was significantly higher in food-secure than in food-insecure households (20.7% vs. 14.4%). Furthermore, meeting the DDS decreased with increasing levels of food insecurity. Household food security status, education background, employment, child’s age, and wealth status were significantly associated with meeting the DDS. Conclusion: This study showed the extent of how food security was associated with meeting the DDS of mothers, children, and mother-child pairs, and the factors associated with meeting the DDS. Results can be used to strengthen the formulation of appropriate, evidence-based policies to address household food insecurity and low DDS among mothers and young children.

Introduction: Stunting persists as a public health problem in the Philippines, affecting 30% of under-five children. This study aimed to identify the drivers of stunting in young Filipino children aged 6-23 months. Methods: Data were extracted from the cross-sectional Updating Survey conducted in 2015 by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST). Potential predictors of stunting, which were categorised into childrelated characteristics, feeding practices, maternal socio-demographic status and health practices, and household economic and food security status, were examined using descriptive and regression analyses. Results: Of the 2,275 children aged 6-23 months, 18.7% were stunted and 8.3% were severely stunted. The risk of stunting increased significantly among older children aged 12-23 months (relative risk ratio, RRR 3.04), males within 6-23 months of age (RRR 1.99), and low-birth-weight infants (RRR 2.19). Children born from teenage mothers (RRR 1.90), mothers with short stature (RRR 2.33), and mothers with low education (RRR 1.59) posed higher risks of becoming stunted relative to their counterparts. Mothers with >4 children (RRR 2.44), coming from the poorest households (RRR 4.27), having untimely introduction of complementary foods (RRR 4.44), and not meeting the minimum meal frequency (RRR 2.30) increased the risks of severe stunting. Conclusion: The study illustrated the multi-factorial nature of stunting among Filipino children aged 6-23 months old. Therefore, a multi-sectoral approach is needed to address the underlying factors of stunting among young Filipino children to help achieve the country’s nutrition targets by 2025.