Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Ethnic Groups and Father’s Job Influencing Nutritional Status of Children (0–30 months) from Myanmar Migrant Community in Southern Thailand

  • Published:
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Thailand has millions of migrants working in different sectors of industries. Pattani is a deep southern provincial city having thousands of Myanmar migrants working in fishery-related jobs. Children from those migrant families are vulnerable and lack from proper care and raising by their parents.

Objectives

The aim of the study is to describe the nutritional status of Myanmar migrant children and identify conditions which are responsible for undernutrition in that community.

Methods and Study Design

A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2016 to April 2017 among mothers and children under 2.5 years of age in that community. A total number of 100 children were involved in statistical analysis after excluding 2 comorbid children. Nutritional status of migrant children was classified by WHO Anthro version 3.2.2.

Results

Prevalence of abnormal nutritional status was reported by (19.6%) stunted, (10.8%) underweight, and (7.8%) wasted. Other ethnic children rather than Mon and Dawei were more likely to be stunted (p < 0.007). Being occupied by a fisherman father was significantly associated with stunting (p < 0.005).

Discussion

To improve feeding practices in infant and young children, a migrant-friendly health education program should be launched and evaluated in this community.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Vazir S, Naidu AN, Vidyasagar P. Nutritional status, psychosocial development and the home environment of Indian rural children. Indian Pediatr. 1998;35(10):959–66.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Improving_Child_Nutrition_-_the_achievable_imperative_for_global_progress.pdf. [Online]. Available: http://www.unicef.org/gambia/Improving_Child_Nutrition_-_the_achievable_imperative_for_global_progress.pdf. Accessed 18 Sep 2016.

  3. Kimani-Murage EW, Madise NJ, Fotso JC, Kyobutungi C, Mutua MK, Gitau TM, et al. Patterns and determinants of breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices in urban informal settlements, Nairobi Kenya. BMC Public Health. 2011;11:396.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. WHO | Infant and young child feeding, WHO. [Online]. Available: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs342/en/. Accessed 08 Aug 2016.

  5. W. H. Organization. Infant and young child feeding: model chapter for textbooks for medical students and allied health professionals, Infant young child feed. Model Chapter Textb. Med. Stud. Allied Health Prof., 2009.

  6. Saaka M, Wemakor A, Abizari A-R, Aryee P. How well do WHO complementary feeding indicators relate to nutritional status of children aged 6-23 months in rural Northern Ghana? BMC Public Health. 2015;15:1157.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. M. of H. and S.- MoHS/Myanmar and ICF. Myanmar demographic and health survey 2015–16, 2017.

  8. GHO | By category | Children aged <5 years stunted - Data by country, WHO. [Online]. Available: http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.CHILDSTUNTED?lang=en. Accessed 19 March 2019.

  9. GHO | By category | Children aged <5 years underweight - Data by country, WHO. [Online]. Available: http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.CHILDUNDERWEIGHT?lang=en. Accessed 19 March 2019.

  10. GHO | By category | Children aged <5 years wasted - Data by country, WHO. [Online]. Available: http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.CHILDWASTED?lang=en. Accessed 19 March 2019.

  11. nutritionsurveillancereport_jandec2012_17apr2013_final.pdf. [Online]. Available: http://publications.iom.int/system/files/pdf/nutritionsurveillancereport_jandec2012_17apr2013_final.pdf. Accessed 09 Aug 2016.

  12. Wangroongsarb P, Satimai W, Khamsiriwatchara A, Thwing J, Eliades JM, Kaewkungwal J, et al. Respondent-driven sampling on the Thailand-Cambodia border. II. Knowledge, perception, practice and treatment-seeking behaviour of migrants in malaria endemic zones. Malar J. 2011;10:117.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Kaji A, Parker DM, Chu CS, Thayatkawin W, Suelaor J, Charatrueangrongkun R, et al. Immunization coverage in migrant school children along the Thailand-Myanmar border. J Immigr Minor Health. 2016;18:1038–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. W. H. Organization. Measuring change in nutritional status: guidelines for assessing the nutritional impact of supplementary feeding programmes for vulnerable groups, Mesure des modifications de l’ état nutritionnel: guide pour la mesure de l’ impact nutritionnel des programmes d’ alimentation complémentaire visant les groupes vulnérables, 1983.

  15. WHO | Severe acute malnutrition, WHO. [Online]. Available: http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/severe_malnutrition/en/. Accessed 28 Nov 2017.

  16. T. Lumley. Complex surveys: a guide to analysis using R. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.

  17. IYCF assessment with small-sample surveys - A proposal for a simplified and structured approach | ENN. [Online]. Available: https://www.ennonline.net/fex/47/iycf. Accessed 10 Aug 2018.

  18. Logistic Regression for Rare Events | Statistical Horizons. [Online]. Available: https://statisticalhorizons.com/logistic-regression-for-rare-events. Accessed 10 Aug 2018.

  19. Reyes H, Pérez-Cuevas R, Sandoval A, Castillo R, Santos JI, Doubova SV, et al. The family as a determinant of stunting in children living in conditions of extreme poverty: a case-control study. BMC Public Health. 2004;4:57.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Beyene M, Worku AG, Wassie MM. Dietary diversity, meal frequency and associated factors among infant and young children in Northwest Ethiopia: a cross- sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2015;15:1007.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Thompson AL, Bentley ME. The critical period of infant feeding for the development of early disparities in obesity. Soc Sci Med. 1982;97:288–96 Nov. 2013.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Nair M, Ariana P, Webster P. Impact of mothers’ employment on infant feeding and care: a qualitative study of the experiences of mothers employed through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. BMJ Open. 2014;4(4):e004434.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Kabir A, Maitrot MRL. Factors influencing feeding practices of extreme poor infants and young children in families of working mothers in Dhaka slums: a qualitative study. PLoS One. 2017;12(2):e0172119.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge Professor Virasakdi Chongsuvivatwong for his helpful advice in this study and express their gratitude to the key informants for their active support and information and their heartfelt thanks to all the migrant families for their patient participation in the study. Pyae Phyo Kyaw provided much assistance with data collection.

Funding

This study is part of a thesis by SWWL for fulfillment of the Master of Science in Epidemiology Course at the Prince of Songkla University. This study was financially supported by The Graduate School, Prince of Songkla University through Thailand’s Education Hub for Southern Region of ASEAN Countries (TEH-AC).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, 15 Karnjanavanich Road, Hatyai, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand

    Sann Wai Wai Lwin & Alan F. Geater

Authors
  1. Sann Wai Wai Lwin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alan F. Geater
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

The corresponding author designed the study, conducted the data collection process, data management, statistical analysis, and interpreted the data, and prepared the manuscript. Another author (AG) provided close supervision in all aspects of study, supported technical advice, and guided the manuscript preparation. All authors have reviewed the submitted manuscript and approve the manuscript for submission.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sann Wai Wai Lwin.

Ethics declarations

After being approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand (document no. 59-306-18-5), the main community-based cross-sectional study containing two major components was conducted.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lwin, S.W.W., Geater, A.F. Ethnic Groups and Father’s Job Influencing Nutritional Status of Children (0–30 months) from Myanmar Migrant Community in Southern Thailand. J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities 6, 944–952 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-019-00595-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-019-00595-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation