Chronic Malnutrition and Language Development in Ecuadorian Children: A Nationwide Age stratified Cross-Sectional Study based on data from ENSANUT 2018
1
Department of Community Medicine and Global Health, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A2066
ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT:
Despite international efforts and national strategies to combat public health problem like, chronic malnutrition, remains it a persistent public health problem in Ecuador. National surveys like “ENSANUT 2018” have documented persistently high rates of malnutrition. To examine the association between chronic malnutrition measured by height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), BMI-for-age Z-score (BAZ), and a combined nutritional classification category based on HAZ and BAZ (nutricode) and language acquisitions among children aged 12 to 42 months in Ecuador. This study used data based on the ENSANUT 2018. Language acquisitions were measured using an adapted version of the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI). The association between nutritional status and language outcomes were analysed using survey-weighted ordinal and logistic regression models, adjusted for age, sex, gestational age, language spoken at home, maternal education, poverty index, and area of residence. Children who were classified as stunted (HAZ −3 to <−2) were less likely to belong to a higher language percentile category (aOR = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.67–1.00; p = 0.051). BAZ model showed that children who were severely underweight for their age had lower language scores (aOR = 0.61; 95% CI 0.38–0.99; p = 0.044), while children with higher BAZ showed a weak but positive association (aOR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.00–1.40; p = 0.045). NC4, "stunted and normal weight” was significantly associated with lower language performance (aOR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.53–0.94; p = 0.018), while “overweight and tall height” (NC11) showed the opposite trend. Higher maternal education and lower poverty index were independently associated with better language outcomes. The results suggests that chronic malnutrition and socioeconomic vulnerability are associated with poorer language development in children in Ecuador. However longitudinal studies and a deeper dimension of nutritional status is required to conclude if there is an actual relationship between language delay and chronic malnutrition.
Despite international efforts and national strategies to combat public health problem like, chronic malnutrition, remains it a persistent public health problem in Ecuador. National surveys like “ENSANUT 2018” have documented persistently high rates of malnutrition. To examine the association between chronic malnutrition measured by height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), BMI-for-age Z-score (BAZ), and a combined nutritional classification category based on HAZ and BAZ (nutricode) and language acquisitions among children aged 12 to 42 months in Ecuador. This study used data based on the ENSANUT 2018. Language acquisitions were measured using an adapted version of the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI). The association between nutritional status and language outcomes were analysed using survey-weighted ordinal and logistic regression models, adjusted for age, sex, gestational age, language spoken at home, maternal education, poverty index, and area of residence. Children who were classified as stunted (HAZ −3 to <−2) were less likely to belong to a higher language percentile category (aOR = 0.82; 95% CI: 0.67–1.00; p = 0.051). BAZ model showed that children who were severely underweight for their age had lower language scores (aOR = 0.61; 95% CI 0.38–0.99; p = 0.044), while children with higher BAZ showed a weak but positive association (aOR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.00–1.40; p = 0.045). NC4, "stunted and normal weight” was significantly associated with lower language performance (aOR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.53–0.94; p = 0.018), while “overweight and tall height” (NC11) showed the opposite trend. Higher maternal education and lower poverty index were independently associated with better language outcomes. The results suggests that chronic malnutrition and socioeconomic vulnerability are associated with poorer language development in children in Ecuador. However longitudinal studies and a deeper dimension of nutritional status is required to conclude if there is an actual relationship between language delay and chronic malnutrition.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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