dc.description.abstract |
Background. Stunting and overweight are nutritional
problems affecting most of sub-Saharan Africa. The
region now has the world’s highest rate of stunting among
children (43%), while overweight and obesity are becom-
ing a global epidemic, and Africa is not spared. The past
two decades have seen a dramatic increase in obesity in
sub-Saharan Africa.
Objective. The purpose of this systematic review is to
explore the determinants of stunting and overweight in
sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods. A literature search was conducted in
PubMed using the key words stunting, overweight,
obesity, Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, determinants, and
prevalence. Limits were set to include articles published
between 1990 and 2012. The systematic review resulted
in 38 studies, and after selection based on title, content,
and country of the study, 18 studies were eligible for this
review. Data were analyzed by the chi-square test.
Results. The prevalence rates of stunting and over-
weight were dependent on socioeconomic, demographic,
and environmental factors. Many studies indicate that
male children and those living in a rural setting are more
likely to be stunted, whereas overweight among children
depends more on age, household composition, occupa-
tion of the mother, and the mother’s body mass index.
Stunting occurred together with overweight among both
boys and girls from 1 to 5 years of age. Stunting was
more prevalent among boys than among girls. Indica-
tors of socioeconomic status, such as mother’s education,
mother’s occupation, and household income, were somef the determinants directly linked to stunting, whereas
environmental factors, such as rural or urban setting
and sanitation, influenced both stunting and overweight.
Concurrent stunting and overweight is influenced by
maternal and household factors, such as maternal height,
age, and education, large household size, and lower
socioeconomic status.
Conclusions. Although socioeconomic, demographic,
and environmental factors were significant in determin-
ing stunting and overweight, other factors, such as nutri-
tion and lifestyle, were important risk factors. Stunting in
childhood is a risk factor that may result in overweight
and obesity later in adolescence and adulthood, indi-
cating the need to screen children below 1 year of age
to identify stunting early in life. Promoting exclusive
breastfeeding is reported to be important in preventing
both stunting and overweight among children. More
research is needed to explore the relationship between
stunting and overweight and to explore policy guidelines
to address the phenomenon. |
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