Improvement in appetite among stunted children receiving nutritional intervention in Bangladesh: results from a community-based study

Nurun Nahar Naila, Mustafa Mahfuz, Muttaquina Hossain, Michael Arndt, Judd L Walson, Baitun Nahar, Tahmeed Ahmed, Nurun Nahar Naila, Mustafa Mahfuz, Muttaquina Hossain, Michael Arndt, Judd L Walson, Baitun Nahar, Tahmeed Ahmed

Abstract

Background/objectives: Stunted children often have poor appetite, which may limit their response to nutritional interventions. We investigated the effect of a nutritional intervention on the appetite status of stunted children.

Methods: A longitudinal prospective intervention study was conducted with 50 stunted (length for age; LAZ < -2) (age and sex matched) aged 12-18 months and their mothers in Bauniabadh slum of Dhaka city. The stunted children received the following intervention package: one boiled egg and 150 ml milk daily 6 days a week for 3 months; psychosocial stimulation including structured play activities and parental counseling for 6 months; routine clinical care. Appetite status was measured using an interview-based tool "Early Childhood Appetite and Satiety Tool."

Results: Over the period of nutritional intervention, the mean appetite score increased from 49 to 60 in the stunted children and was associated with increased food consumption. Over the intervention period, both egg and milk consumption increased (40.3-49.6 g and 83.8-138.5 ml, respectively).

Conclusions: Assessment of appetite status using EACST appears to be a useful tool for monitoring a nutritional intervention in stunted children. This tool may be useful for programs in managing child stunting in low-income countries and an important way to assess the efficacy of a nutritional intervention in these children.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02839148.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

© 2021. The Author(s).

Figures

Fig. 1. Study design.
Fig. 1. Study design.
We recruited 50 stunted and 50 non-stunted children aged between 12–18 months whose length-for-age Z-score was less than −2 and morethan or equal to −2 respectively. The enrolled stunted children received an intervention package on site, which included food supplementation (FS), micronutrient supplementation (MNP), psychosocial stimulation (PS) and routine clinical care. The non-stunted children received routine clinical care, MNP, and nutritional counseling but no FS or PS. At the end of intervention baseline and end line appetite score and food intake were measured.
Fig. 2. Appetite status of the children…
Fig. 2. Appetite status of the children on enrollment and after 6 months of intervention.
We provided food supplementation 6 days a week for 3 months and measured appetite score monthly. The mean appetite score was 50 in stunted children at enrollment, and increased to 60 after 6 months of intervention whereas the mean appetite score was 51 in non-stunted children at enrollment, and rose to 56 over the same 6-month period.

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