Status and influencing factors of growth and development among rural left-behind preschool children in Shandong province

ObjectiveTo investigate the status and related factors of growth and development among rural left-behind preschool children in Shandong province.MethodsMultistage stratified cluster random sampling was used to select 735 children(269 left-behind children and 466 non-behind children)from 9 townships in 2 counties.ResultsThe weight-for-height Z score(WHZ)of left-behind children was 0.29±1.87;the height-for-age Z score(HAZ)was 0.02±1.64 and the weight-for-age Z score was 0.17±1.40;no significant differences in the scores were observed between the left-behind children and non-left-behind children.The rate of growth retardation for left-behind children was 8.2%,which was higher than that of the non-left-behind children(4.5%,P=0.042).Multivariate analyses showed that the major influencing factors of WHZ score were the consumption of snacks and preference for special food;the major influencing factors of HAZ score were two week disease prevalence rate,annual household expenses,the time of parental companion,and the age of father;the major influencing factors of WAZ score were annual household expenses,the age of mother,whether in a poor family,whether with parent feeding when taking meals,and whether having breakfast.ConclusionGrowth retardation is the major problem for rural left-behind preschool children in Shandong province.Lack of parental companion,elder age of parents,and unhealthy dietary behaviors of the children affect the growth of the children.