Factors Influencing Stunting Among Ethnic School - Aged Children in Ban Musor, Mueang District, Tak Province
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Abstract
This predictive correlational research aimed to examine factors influencing stunting among ethnic school-aged children in Ban Musor, Mueang District, Tak Province. The sample consisted of 224 caregivers of school-aged children aged 6–14 years, who were selected by proportional allocation based on grade level and simple random sampling. The research utilized a structured questionnaire included 1) the demographic questionnaire of children 2) the demographic questionnaire of caregiver and 3) Child care behavior questionnaire on nutrition, rest and exercise with an IOC ranging from .67 to 1.0 and a reliability coefficient of .85. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression.
The study revealed that caregiver-related and environmental factors were significantly associated with stunting at the .05 significance level. Regarding caregiver factors: (1) Ethnicity was significantly related to stunting, with children cared for by caregivers of the Black Lahu ethnic group being 6.862 times more likely to experience stunting compared to those under the care of Hmong caregivers (95% CI: 2.590–18.180, p=.000). (2) Ancestral or spirit worship was also significantly associated with stunting; children whose caregivers practiced ancestral or spirit worship were 4.704 times more likely to be stunted than those whose caregivers were Christian (95% CI: 1.508–14.670, p=.008). (3) Caregiver marital status showed a significant association, with children of widowed, divorced, or separated caregivers being 3.384 times more likely to experience stunting than those with married or cohabiting caregivers (95% CI: 1.017–11.260, p=.047). Among environmental factors, caregivers’ lack of nutritional knowledge was significantly associated with a higher risk of stunting; children whose caregivers lacked such knowledge were 2.386 times more likely to be stunted compared to
those whose caregivers were informed (95% CI: 1.217–4.681, p=.011). Additionally, appropriate practices such as feeding children fish and grains and encouraging regular physical activity were significantly associated with a reduced prevalence of stunting at the .05 significance level.
These findings highlight the need for relevant agencies to implement ongoing monitoring and risk factor assessments among ethnic minority children. Interventions should emphasize caregiver engagement by providing appropriate education on nutrition and physical activity to reduce the prevalence of stunting in these populations.
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