Prevalence of undernutrition among 0 – 5 years old children in China in 2013

  Objective   To study the prevalence of and regional difference in undernutrition among 0 – 5 years old children in China in 2013.

  Methods   The data of the study were from the China Nutrition and Health Surveillance on 0 – 5 Years Children and Lactating Women in 2013 and totally 32 862 children were included in the analysis. Data analyses were conducted using the complex weight based on national census from National Bureau of Statistics in 2010.

  Results   The prevalence rate of underweight was 2.5% among all the children surveyed, with the rate of 2.6% and 2.4% for the boys and the girls; the prevalence rate of underweight for the children in large cities, medium and small cities, common rural areas, and poor rural areas were 1.3%, 1.7%, 2.3%, and 5.1%, respectively, and the rate was significantly different in the children at various months of age and in the four different regions. The prevalence rate of stunting was 8.1% among all the children, with the rate of 8.7% and 7.4% for the boys and the girls; the prevalence rate of stunting for the children in large cities, medium and small cities, common rural areas, and poor rural areas were 2.7%, 4.4%, 7.5%, and 19.0%. The prevalence rate of wasting was 2.0% among all the children, with a same rate for the boys and the girls; the prevalence rate of wasting for the children in large cities, medium and small cities, common rural areas, and poor rural areas were 2.7%, 1.4%, 2.2%, and 2.7%, respectively, and the rate was significantly different in the children at various months of age, residential area (urban and rural) and in the four different regions. The prevalence rate of underweight, stunting, and wasting were higher among the children in families with low household income than those in the families with high household income.

  Conclusion   In China among 0 – 5 years old children, the prevalence rate of undernutrition differs by the month of age, residential region, and household income and more attentions should be paid to undernutrition in rural children, especially in the children in poor rural areas.