Research linking children's lack of dietary diversity to increased medical costs

Recent BMC public health This study investigates the impact of low food diversity on children's health and the economy.

study: Dietary diversity: the relationship between children's health and the associated economic burden. Image credit: Mohammad Bash / Shutterstock.com

Exploring the relationship between dietary diversity and childhood malnutrition

Millions of children under the age of five around the world are obese or suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. In 2022, the World Health Organization reported a significant increase in stunting among children in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. This has led many counties in the World Health Assembly to participate in the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) program to reduce stunting rates by 2025.

A high prevalence of child malnutrition and stunting has been reported in Indonesia, but the numbers have been decreasing recently. However, this reduction rate still falls short of the WHO's target of less than 20%. Lack of dietary diversity has been found to be a major dietary nutrition-related problem in developing countries.

Developing countries rely heavily on grains as their staple food, with limited intake of animal protein, vegetables, and fruits. Social and economic status, cultural traditions, financial allocation, food choices, and habits influence the quality and variety of the diet.

Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) and Dietary Serving Score (DSS) are often used to determine the quality of food variety and adequacy. Reduced dietary diversity is associated with malnutrition, including stunting, as well as an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and dyslipidemia. In general, children who eat a variety of foods have higher food intake and better metabolism.

A recent study conducted in Indonesia's West Java province found that consuming a more diverse diet reduces the risk of malnutrition. However, another study contradicted this observation and reported poor food quality and diversity among vulnerable populations in West Java. These contradictory observations highlight the importance of conducting additional research to elucidate the effects of consuming similar types of foods in children.

About research

The current study evaluated the correlation between food diversity and child health. Food diversity was calculated based on DDS and DSS, where DDS was used to estimate the quality of food diversity and DSS quantified food diversity. To better understand the severity of this problem, the economic burden experienced by parents and governments due to low dietary diversity in children was also estimated.

The population of Tasikmalaya City was considered in the current study as it has a higher prevalence of child stunting than the state average. As stunting is related to children's diet and nutrition, Tasikmalaya city has been considered to have low dietary diversity.

Data were collected on six different food groups, including meat/fish/eggs, vegetables, cereals, fruit, whole grains, and milk/dairy products consumed by the child in the past 24 hours. Children from the age of 2 to her 14 years were targeted. Sociodemographic data, food groups consumed, health status, and costs incurred due to child illness in the past month were also reported.

research result

The average monthly household income was Rp 2.29 million. Most study participants lived more than 1 km away from a medical facility.

Most children consumed three meals a day, and 25% of the cohort experienced health complaints. The study cohort consisted of approximately equal numbers of boys and girls.

Lower DDS and DSS scores were found to be associated with more health complaints in children. Children with low DDS and DSS scores will cost him 75 USD per child. Therefore, improving the quality and quantity of food diversity may avoid these high costs.

DDS can be used to determine nutritional adequacy, which indicates a child's adequate macronutrient and micronutrient intake. Better adherence to dietary amounts recommended by balanced nutrition guidelines was associated with improved health outcomes in children.

conclusion

This study highlights the importance of dietary diversity for children's health. Insufficient food diversity can lead to illness and increase overall household health costs.

To improve children's health status, it is recommended to improve the quality and quantity of dietary diversity. In the future, we need to promote better food and nutrition-related programs and raise awareness to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.

Agriculture plays an important role in Indonesia's economy, so improving agroecological practices such as crop diversification, mixed cropping, agroforestry, and livestock systems can have a positive effect on dietary diversity. .