Sustained intake of animal-sourced foods is associated with less stunting in young children

Sonia Zaharia; Shibani Ghosh; Robin Shrestha; Swetha Manohar; Andrew L. Thorne-Lyman; Bernard Bashaasha; Nassul Kabunga; Sabi Gurung; Grace Namirembe; Katherine H. Appel; Lichen Liang; Patrick Webb

doi:10.1038/s43016-021-00259-z

Sustained intake of animal-sourced foods is associated with less stunting in young children

Sonia Zaharia, Shibani Ghosh, Robin Shrestha, Swetha Manohar, Andrew L. Thorne-Lyman, Bernard Bashaasha, Nassul Kabunga, Sabi Gurung, Grace Namirembe, Katherine H. Appel, Lichen Liang, Patrick Webb

Bloomberg School of Public Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The value of animal-sourced foods (ASFs) in providing key nutrients, particularly for child growth and where diets are of low quality, is understood mainly from cross-sectional assessment of current consumption. Longitudinal panel data from Nepal, Bangladesh and Uganda were used here to assess associations among previous (lagged) and contemporaneous ASF intake with linear growth of children aged 6–24 months. Lagged ASF consumption was significantly correlated with a 10% decline in stunting in Nepali children who consumed any ASF in the previous year, while current intake was associated with a 9% decline in stunting in Uganda. Previous consumption of two or more ASFs showed a stronger association, ranging from a 10% decline in stunting in Bangladesh to a 16% decline in Nepal. This novel lagged analysis emphasizes the need for regular and appropriate levels of ASF intake by young children to support healthy growth in resource-constrained settings.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	246-254
Number of pages	9
Journal	Nature Food
Volume	2
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00259-z
State	Published - Apr 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Food Science
Animal Science and Zoology
Agronomy and Crop Science

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10.1038/s43016-021-00259-z

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title = "Sustained intake of animal-sourced foods is associated with less stunting in young children",

abstract = "The value of animal-sourced foods (ASFs) in providing key nutrients, particularly for child growth and where diets are of low quality, is understood mainly from cross-sectional assessment of current consumption. Longitudinal panel data from Nepal, Bangladesh and Uganda were used here to assess associations among previous (lagged) and contemporaneous ASF intake with linear growth of children aged 6–24 months. Lagged ASF consumption was significantly correlated with a 10% decline in stunting in Nepali children who consumed any ASF in the previous year, while current intake was associated with a 9% decline in stunting in Uganda. Previous consumption of two or more ASFs showed a stronger association, ranging from a 10% decline in stunting in Bangladesh to a 16% decline in Nepal. This novel lagged analysis emphasizes the need for regular and appropriate levels of ASF intake by young children to support healthy growth in resource-constrained settings.",

author = "Sonia Zaharia and Shibani Ghosh and Robin Shrestha and Swetha Manohar and Thorne-Lyman, {Andrew L.} and Bernard Bashaasha and Nassul Kabunga and Sabi Gurung and Grace Namirembe and Appel, {Katherine H.} and Lichen Liang and Patrick Webb",

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doi = "10.1038/s43016-021-00259-z",

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AU - Zaharia, Sonia

AU - Ghosh, Shibani

AU - Shrestha, Robin

AU - Manohar, Swetha

AU - Thorne-Lyman, Andrew L.

AU - Bashaasha, Bernard

AU - Kabunga, Nassul

AU - Gurung, Sabi

AU - Namirembe, Grace

AU - Appel, Katherine H.

AU - Liang, Lichen

AU - Webb, Patrick

PY - 2021/4

Y1 - 2021/4

N2 - The value of animal-sourced foods (ASFs) in providing key nutrients, particularly for child growth and where diets are of low quality, is understood mainly from cross-sectional assessment of current consumption. Longitudinal panel data from Nepal, Bangladesh and Uganda were used here to assess associations among previous (lagged) and contemporaneous ASF intake with linear growth of children aged 6–24 months. Lagged ASF consumption was significantly correlated with a 10% decline in stunting in Nepali children who consumed any ASF in the previous year, while current intake was associated with a 9% decline in stunting in Uganda. Previous consumption of two or more ASFs showed a stronger association, ranging from a 10% decline in stunting in Bangladesh to a 16% decline in Nepal. This novel lagged analysis emphasizes the need for regular and appropriate levels of ASF intake by young children to support healthy growth in resource-constrained settings.

AB - The value of animal-sourced foods (ASFs) in providing key nutrients, particularly for child growth and where diets are of low quality, is understood mainly from cross-sectional assessment of current consumption. Longitudinal panel data from Nepal, Bangladesh and Uganda were used here to assess associations among previous (lagged) and contemporaneous ASF intake with linear growth of children aged 6–24 months. Lagged ASF consumption was significantly correlated with a 10% decline in stunting in Nepali children who consumed any ASF in the previous year, while current intake was associated with a 9% decline in stunting in Uganda. Previous consumption of two or more ASFs showed a stronger association, ranging from a 10% decline in stunting in Bangladesh to a 16% decline in Nepal. This novel lagged analysis emphasizes the need for regular and appropriate levels of ASF intake by young children to support healthy growth in resource-constrained settings.

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Sustained intake of animal-sourced foods is associated with less stunting in young children

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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