Affiliation:
1. The National Institute for Mother and Child Health ‘Alessandrescu-Rusescu’ , Bucharest , Romania
2. Southwestern Christian University , Oklahoma , USA
3. Mid America Christian University , Oklahoma , USA
4. Sacramento , CA , USA
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The research explored the association between infants’ height and various demographic factors in Romania, a country where such critical information has been lacking.
Methods
This study was conducted on a nationally representative sample and used a family physicians database to determine a sample of 1532 children (713 girls and 819 boys) 6–23 months of age (M = 14.26; SD = 5.15). Infants’ height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) were calculated using the World Health Organization’s computing algorithm. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to investigate whether certain risk factors, such as infant mother’s age, location, marital status, socioeconomic status (SES), as well as infant’s term status at birth, age, anemia, minimum dietary diversity (MDD) and birth order, could significantly predict the HAZ.
Results
The study identified several significant predictors of height. Specifically, lower HAZ was associated with rural living, preterm birth, age 18–23 months, unmarried mothers, anemia, lack of MDD and being third or later born in the family. In contrast, higher HAZ was associated with medium or high maternal SES and older maternal age.
Conclusions
The study underscores the importance of addressing these significant risk factors through distinct interventions to improve height outcomes in at-risk Romanian populations.
Funder
National Institute for Mother and Child Health
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,General Medicine