PD913 - SCREENING ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH: RETHINKING APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING CHILDHOOD MALNUTRITION/ITS RISK

PD913

SCREENING ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH: RETHINKING APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING CHILDHOOD MALNUTRITION/ITS RISK

A. Sharn^1,*, C. Hoyos Ponton², N. Lara Yanes², K. Mallory³, C. Sánchez Franco⁴, M. Jiménez⁵, L. C. Garay-Quintero⁵, L. Fan⁶, C. Rojas Montenegro⁷

¹Global Medical Affairs and Research, Abbott Nutrition, Columbus, United States, ²Colombia Programs, Children International, Barranquilla, Colombia, ³Global Programs, Children International, Cincinnati, United States, ⁴Global Medical Affairs and Research, Abbott Nutrition, ⁵Salud Poblacional, Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia, ⁶Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States, ⁷Escuela de Medicina, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia

Rationale: Globally, over 150 million children under 5 experience undernutrition due to nutrient inadequacy. However, Colombian and UNICEF estimates are not current, nor provide the characteristics of those malnutrition risk forms. Thus, the study’s aim was to understand characteristics of children with malnutrition risk versus those without for evidence to design a nutrition care program.

Methods: This observational study followed 204 children aged 1-5 years across 3 visits for 6 months in 6 Colombian community centers in 2 cities. Malnutrition/its risk of stunting, wasting, underweight, and neurodevelopment were defined as height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-height (WHZ), weight-for-age (WAZ), and head-circumference-for-age (HCAZ) z-scores ≤-1, respectively. Water, sanitation, hygiene, food security, and poverty were measured with validated tools. Univariate and multivariate analyses described changes in risk status and analyzed characteristics across timepoints.

Results: Most were female (52.9%) with mean age 3.5(1.1) years and 64.2% had malnutrition/its risk. Among the analytic sample (n=128), there were no statistically significant changes in forms over time (p>0.05), other than wasting (WHZ), an acute manifestation, which reduced at 3- and 6-months (p<0.01). Predictors of malnutrition/its risk differed, with greater birth weight (HAZ, WHZ, WAZ), caregiver age (WAZ, HCAZ), and education (HAZ, WAZ) having protective impact (all p<0.05).

Conclusion: While there are characteristics that may be protective for reducing malnutrition/its risk across forms and timepoints, screening alone was not enough for reduction in chronic malnutrition/its risk status. These findings highlight the need to pair screening, education, supplementation, and regular follow-up as part of multi-sector interventions that address dietary quality and structural barriers limiting healthy child growth.

Disclosure of Interest: A. Sharn Other: Employee of Abbott Nutrition, C. Hoyos Ponton: None declared, N. Lara Yanes: None declared, K. Mallory: None declared, C. Sánchez Franco Other: Employee of Abbott Nutrition, M. Jiménez: None declared, L. C. Garay-Quintero: None declared, L. Fan: None declared, C. Rojas Montenegro: None declared