Nutritional status of preschool children in Northern Vietnam

After three decades of war and social turmoil in Vietnam, infant mortality is high and related health and nutritional problems are widespread. Studies which have investigated health or nutrition characteristics of the Vietnamese population are scarce. This paper offers the first multivariate analysis of nutritional status of Vietnamese children in recent history. The relationship between a number of household‐level variables and nutritional outcomes of preschool children surveyed over two years in northern Vietnam is investigated. During four survey rounds, as many as 82% and 80% of children under 72 months fell below a Z‐score of ‐2 for weight/age and height/age, respectively. A maximum of 44% and 57% of children fell below a Z‐score of ‐2 for growth velocity (weight and stature, respectively). Positive predictors of attained growth were hemoglobin level and sex (males having better nutritional status). Household size, weaning practices and household illness were not associated with attained growth.