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Prevalence and Determinants of the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure in Children Under Five Years in Bangladesh: Insights From a National Survey

Hassan, Rafid ; Hossain, Shahadoth ; Alam, Md Mahbub ; Saha, Sanjib LU orcid ; Akter, Tanjina ; Ali, Masum and Amin, Md Ruhul (2025) In Food Science & Nutrition 13(6).
Abstract
ABSTRACT Child undernutrition remains a significant public health issue in Bangladesh, with high rates of stunting, wasting, and underweight. The Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) offers a comprehensive tool for assessing overall undernutrition. Although previous studies in Bangladesh have utilized CIAF, they have relied on older datasets. Estimating the current status is essential for designing and implementing targeted interventions due to the dynamic nature of undernutrition. This study aimed to provide updated insights by analyzing the CIAF and its determinants among children under 5?years, using the most recent 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) data. A total of 3950 under-5-year-old children were... (More)
ABSTRACT Child undernutrition remains a significant public health issue in Bangladesh, with high rates of stunting, wasting, and underweight. The Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) offers a comprehensive tool for assessing overall undernutrition. Although previous studies in Bangladesh have utilized CIAF, they have relied on older datasets. Estimating the current status is essential for designing and implementing targeted interventions due to the dynamic nature of undernutrition. This study aimed to provide updated insights by analyzing the CIAF and its determinants among children under 5?years, using the most recent 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) data. A total of 3950 under-5-year-old children were included. The modified Poisson regression was employed to identify the associated factors. The overall prevalence of CIAF was 33.7%, with subgroups of wasted and underweight (4.7%), stunted and underweight (10.8%), wasting, stunting, and underweight (3.4%), only wasted (3%), only stunted (8.8%), and only underweight (3%). Factors associated with higher risk of CIAF included older aged child, higher birth order (ARR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.08?1.58), smaller birth size (ARR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.24?1.70), uneducated mothers (ARR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.16?1.93), maternal underweight (ARR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.13?1.46), short stature (ARR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.40?1.70). Children from the poorest households (ARR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.02?1.53) and Sylhet (ARR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.02?1.47) also had a higher risk. This study suggests strengthening community-based nutrition-specific programs along with improving access to healthcare, family planning, food assistance, and income opportunities to reduce child undernutrition in Bangladesh. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Bangladesh demographic and health survey, children, composite index of anthropometric failure, malnutrition, undernutrition
in
Food Science & Nutrition
volume
13
issue
6
article number
e70499
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:105008869278
ISSN
2048-7177
DOI
10.1002/fsn3.70499
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c87d66ce-19e0-439a-ab27-173f59243285
date added to LUP
2025-06-23 08:41:19
date last changed
2025-07-20 04:04:53
@article{c87d66ce-19e0-439a-ab27-173f59243285,
  abstract     = {{ABSTRACT Child undernutrition remains a significant public health issue in Bangladesh, with high rates of stunting, wasting, and underweight. The Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF) offers a comprehensive tool for assessing overall undernutrition. Although previous studies in Bangladesh have utilized CIAF, they have relied on older datasets. Estimating the current status is essential for designing and implementing targeted interventions due to the dynamic nature of undernutrition. This study aimed to provide updated insights by analyzing the CIAF and its determinants among children under 5?years, using the most recent 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) data. A total of 3950 under-5-year-old children were included. The modified Poisson regression was employed to identify the associated factors. The overall prevalence of CIAF was 33.7%, with subgroups of wasted and underweight (4.7%), stunted and underweight (10.8%), wasting, stunting, and underweight (3.4%), only wasted (3%), only stunted (8.8%), and only underweight (3%). Factors associated with higher risk of CIAF included older aged child, higher birth order (ARR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.08?1.58), smaller birth size (ARR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.24?1.70), uneducated mothers (ARR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.16?1.93), maternal underweight (ARR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.13?1.46), short stature (ARR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.40?1.70). Children from the poorest households (ARR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.02?1.53) and Sylhet (ARR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.02?1.47) also had a higher risk. This study suggests strengthening community-based nutrition-specific programs along with improving access to healthcare, family planning, food assistance, and income opportunities to reduce child undernutrition in Bangladesh.}},
  author       = {{Hassan, Rafid and Hossain, Shahadoth and Alam, Md Mahbub and Saha, Sanjib and Akter, Tanjina and Ali, Masum and Amin, Md Ruhul}},
  issn         = {{2048-7177}},
  keywords     = {{Bangladesh demographic and health survey; children; composite index of anthropometric failure; malnutrition; undernutrition}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Food Science & Nutrition}},
  title        = {{Prevalence and Determinants of the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure in Children Under Five Years in Bangladesh: Insights From a National Survey}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.70499}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/fsn3.70499}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}