How countries can reduce child stunting at scale: lessons from exemplar countries. (21st July 2020)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- How countries can reduce child stunting at scale: lessons from exemplar countries. (21st July 2020)
- Main Title:
- How countries can reduce child stunting at scale: lessons from exemplar countries
- Authors:
- Bhutta, Zulfiqar A
Akseer, Nadia
Keats, Emily C
Vaivada, Tyler
Baker, Shawn
Horton, Susan E
Katz, Joanne
Menon, Purnima
Piwoz, Ellen
Shekar, Meera
Victora, Cesar
Black, Robert - Abstract:
- ABSTRACT: Background: Child stunting and linear growth faltering have declined over the past few decades and several countries have made exemplary progress. Objectives: To synthesize findings from mixed methods studies of exemplar countries to provide guidance on how to accelerate reduction in child stunting. Methods: We did a qualitative and quantitative synthesis of findings from existing literature and 5 exemplar country studies (Nepal, Ethiopia, Peru, Kyrgyz Republic, Senegal). Methodology included 4 broad research activities: 1 ) a series of descriptive analyses of cross-sectional data from demographic and health surveys and multiple indicator cluster surveys; 2 ) multivariable analysis of quantitative drivers of change in linear growth; 3 ) interviews and focus groups with national experts and community stakeholders and mothers; and 4 ) a review of policy and program evolution related to nutrition. Results: Several countries have dramatically reduced child stunting prevalence, with or without closing geographical, economic, and other population inequalities. Countries made progress through interventions from within and outside the health sector, and despite significant heterogeneity and differences in context, contributions were comparable from health and nutrition sectors (40% of change) and other sectors (50%), previously called nutrition-specific and -sensitive strategies. Improvements in maternal education, maternal nutrition, maternal and newborn care, andABSTRACT: Background: Child stunting and linear growth faltering have declined over the past few decades and several countries have made exemplary progress. Objectives: To synthesize findings from mixed methods studies of exemplar countries to provide guidance on how to accelerate reduction in child stunting. Methods: We did a qualitative and quantitative synthesis of findings from existing literature and 5 exemplar country studies (Nepal, Ethiopia, Peru, Kyrgyz Republic, Senegal). Methodology included 4 broad research activities: 1 ) a series of descriptive analyses of cross-sectional data from demographic and health surveys and multiple indicator cluster surveys; 2 ) multivariable analysis of quantitative drivers of change in linear growth; 3 ) interviews and focus groups with national experts and community stakeholders and mothers; and 4 ) a review of policy and program evolution related to nutrition. Results: Several countries have dramatically reduced child stunting prevalence, with or without closing geographical, economic, and other population inequalities. Countries made progress through interventions from within and outside the health sector, and despite significant heterogeneity and differences in context, contributions were comparable from health and nutrition sectors (40% of change) and other sectors (50%), previously called nutrition-specific and -sensitive strategies. Improvements in maternal education, maternal nutrition, maternal and newborn care, and reductions in fertility/reduced interpregnancy intervals were strong contributors to change. A roadmap to reducing child stunting at scale includes several steps related to diagnostics, stakeholder consultations, and implementing direct and indirect nutrition interventions related to the health sector and nonhealth sector . Conclusions: Our results show that child stunting reduction is possible even in diverse and challenging contexts. We propose that our framework of organizing nutrition interventions as direct/indirect and inside/outside the health sector should be considered when mapping causal pathways of child stunting and planning interventions and strategies to accelerate stunting reduction to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- American journal of clinical nutrition. Volume 112(2020)Supplement 2
- Journal:
- American journal of clinical nutrition
- Issue:
- Volume 112(2020)Supplement 2
- Issue Display:
- Volume 112, Issue 2 (2020)
- Year:
- 2020
- Volume:
- 112
- Issue:
- 2
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2020-0112-0002-0000
- Page Start:
- 894S
- Page End:
- 904S
- Publication Date:
- 2020-07-21
- Subjects:
- stunting -- linear growth -- children -- nutrition -- exemplar -- mixed methods
Diet therapy -- Periodicals
Nutrition -- Periodicals
Dietetics -- Periodicals
613.205 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.oxfordjournals.org/ ↗
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/ ↗
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/the-american-journal-of-clinical-nutrition ↗
https://ajcn.nutrition.org/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1093/ajcn/nqaa153 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0002-9165
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 0823.000000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 15545.xml