Effect of utilization of child health services on the nutrition and growth status of infants in poor rural areas in Sichuan and Gansu Province

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current situation of the utilization of infant and young child health services in pool rural areas where minorities gathered in Sichuan and Gansu Province and analyze its effect on infant nutrition and growth. METHODS: We choosed 1065 infants and young children aged≤24 months with their mother as the subjects by multistage cluster random sampling in October to November 2014 in poor rural areas where ethnic minorities gathered in Sichuan and Gansu Province. Questionnaires were used to obtain the data of demography and utilization of maternal and child health services, physical examination to obtain the data of growth status, and hemoglobin detection to obtain the hemoglobin level. The relationship between the nutrition and growth status and maternal and child health service utilization was analyzed by the unconditioned Logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the surveyed infants and young children, the underweight rate was 3. 38%, the stunting rate was 10. 52%, and the wasting rate was 2. 25%, the malnutrition prevalence was 12. 58%, and the anemia prevalence was 52. 68%. The children's physical examination rate was 37. 09%, and the systematic management( frequency of physical examination reached the standard) rate of children was 12. 68%. The rate of prophylactic inoculation was 92. 30%, and the rate of reaching the standard of vaccination frequency was 48. 73%. After adjusting the confounding factors, the result showed that utilization of vaccination( OR = 0. 41, 95% CI0. 23-0. 74) and vaccination frequency reaching the standard( OR = 0. 58, 95%CI 0. 36-0. 92) were protective factors for infant malnutrition. Children 's physical examinations frequency reaching the standard( OR = 0. 52, 95%CI 0. 35-0. 79) was a protective factor for infant anemia. CONCLUSION: Reasonable utilization of health services can reduce the poor result of nutrition and growth of infants in poor rural areas where ethnic minorities gather in Sichuan and Gansu provinces.