To establish the prevalence of double burden of malnutrition (DBM) and triple burden of malnutrition (TBM) among mother-child pairs in Malawi and explore their geographical distribution and associated multilevel factors.

Cross-sectional study using secondary data from the 2015-16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey using a mixed effects binomial model to identify multilevel factors associated with DBM and TBM. Georeferenced covariates were used to map the predicted prevalence of DBM and TBM.

All 28 districts in Malawi.

Mother-child pairs with mothers aged 15 to 49 years and children aged below 59 months (n=4,618 pairs) for DBM and between 6 and 59 months (n=4,209 pairs) for TBM.

Approximately 5.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 4.7%, 6.4%] of mother-child pairs had DBM and 3.1% [95% CI: 2.5%, 4.0%] had TBM. The subnational-level prevalence of DBM and TBM was highest in cities. The adjusted odds of DBM were threefold higher [Adjusted Odds Ratio, AOR: 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1, 7.3] with a higher proportion of wealthy households in a community. The adjusted odds of TBM were 60% lower [AOR: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2, 0.8] among pairs where the women had some education compared to women with no education.

Although the prevalence of DBM and TBM is currently low in Malawi, it is more prevalent in pairs with women with no education and in relatively wealthier communities. Targeted interventions should address both maternal overnutrition and child undernutrition in cities and these demographics.

The double burden of malnutrition (DBM) has become an emerging public health issue in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aims to provide important evidence for the prevalence of different types of DBM at the national and subnational levels in Bangladesh.

The study utilised data from the latest Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2017–2018. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify the sociodemographic factors associated with DBM.

Nationally representative cross-sectional survey.

8697 mothers aged 15 to 49 years with <5 children.

The overall prevalence of the DBM was approximately 21 %, where the prevalence of overweight mother (OWM) & stunted child/wasted child/underweight child (SC/WC/UWC) and underweight mother (UWM) & overweight child (OWC) was 13·35 % and 7·69 %, respectively, with a higher prevalence among urban households (OWM & SC/WC/UWC = 14·22 %; UWM & OWC = 10·58 %) in Bangladesh. High inequality was observed among UWM & OWC dyads, concentration index (CI) = -0·2998, while low level of inequality of DBM were observed for OWM & SC (CI = 0·0153), OWM & WC (CI = 0·1165) and OWM & UWC (CI = 0·0135) dyads. We observed that the age and educational status of the mother, number of children, fathers’ occupation, size and wealth index of the household, and administrative division were significantly associated with all types of DBM.

Health policymakers, concerned authorities and various stakeholders should stress the prevalence of DBM issues and take necessary actions aimed at identifying and addressing the DBM in Bangladesh.

Undernutrition and anaemia (the commonest micronutrient deficiency), continue to remain prevalent and persistent in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) alongside a rising prevalence of overweight and obesity. However, there has been little research on the co-existence of all three conditions in the same household in recent years. The current study examines the co-existence and correlates of the different conditions of household burden of malnutrition in the same household across SSA.

The study involved twenty-three countries across SSA who conducted Demographic and Health Surveys between 2008 and 2017.

The analytical sample includes 145 020 households with valid data on the nutritional status of women and children pairs (i.e. women of reproductive age; 15–49 years and children under 5 years).

Logistic regression analyses were used to determine household correlates of household burden of malnutrition.

Anaemia was the most common form of household burden of malnutrition, affecting about seven out of ten households. Double and triple burden of malnutrition, though less common, was also found to be present in 8 and 5 % of the households, respectively. The age of the household head, location of the household, access to improved toilet facilities and household wealth status were found to be associated with various conditions of household burden of malnutrition.

The findings of the current study reveal that both double and triple burden of malnutrition is of public health concern in SSA, thus nutrition and health interventions in SSA must not be skewed towards addressing undernutrition only but also address overweight/obesity and anaemia.

To examine the association of household type and household composition with concurrent stunting and overweight in young children from urban and rural Indonesia.

This study is a secondary data analysis using a nationally representative cross-sectional survey. Household structure was analysed as household type, household size, number of working adults, number of dependent adults and children, and household head’s gender. We defined ‘concurrent stunting and overweight’ as height-for-age Z-score <–2 and weight-for-height Z-score >+2 based on WHO growth standards. Multivariable logistic regression to test the aforementioned association was performed separately for urban and rural areas.

Data were from Indonesia Basic Heath Research 2013.

Children aged 2–5 years (n 45 050).

The prevalence of concurrent stunting and overweight children was 5·6 %. In rural areas, this prevalence differed significantly by household types and the highest prevalence was among children in nuclear two-parent households (6·8 %). In rural areas, children in extended households had lower odds of concurrent stunting and overweight than those from nuclear households (OR = 0·73, 95 % CI 0·59, 0·92). In urban areas, household size and number of working adults were significantly associated with the decreased odds of concurrent stunting and overweight in children.

Household structure was associated with children’s concurrent stunting and overweight in urban and rural regions of Indonesia. The patterns of the association might differ between urban and rural regions, but no significant interaction term was found.

To investigate the shifts and factors associated with different scenarios resulting from the prevalence of child stunting and overweight in Brazilian municipalities.

This is an ecological study using municipality-level panel data of stunting and overweight prevalence and socio-economic characteristics from 2008 to 2014. The municipalities were classified according to the WHO-UNICEF prevalence thresholds for stunting and overweight and were categorised into four nutritional scenarios: no burden (prevalence of stunting < 20 % and overweight < 10 %), stunting burden (prevalence of stunting ≥ 20 % and overweight < 10 %), overweight burden (prevalence of stunting < 20 % and overweight ≥ 10 %) and double burden (prevalence of stunting ≥ 20 % and overweight ≥ 10 %).

Totally, 4443 Brazilian municipalities.

Aggregated data of children under 5 years old enrolled in the Brazil’s conditional cash transfer programme (Bolsa Família).

A mean reduction from 14·2 % to 12·7 % in the prevalence of stunting and an increase from 17·2 % to 18·4 % in the prevalence of overweight were observed. The predominant scenarios were overweight burden and double burden. The odds of both scenarios increased with higher gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and decreased with higher unemployment rates. Stunting and double burden decreased with higher expected years of schooling, and stunting burden increased with household crowding.

Our findings indicate an advanced nutrition transition stage in Brazil, associated mainly with municipal GDP per capita growth, which has contributed to increasing the burden of overweight alone or coexisting with stunting (double burden) among children in the most socio-economically vulnerable strata of the population.

In low- and middle-income countries, undernutrition remains a major risk factor for child growth retardation. In addition, the emergence of obesity in recent years is adding another public health concern in that both stunting and obesity are associated with serious adverse health consequences. This review was designed to evaluate the prevalence of stunting and obesity in Ecuador.

Electronic databases were searched for articles published through February 2018 reporting the prevalence of stunting and/or obesity. Selected data were subjected to meta-analysis and pooled prevalence and their 95 percentiles (95 % CI) were calculated.

Studies were identified in Medline, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Database and Ibero-America databases.

Population of Ecuador.

Twenty-three articles were selected according to the inclusion/exclusion criteria of the study. The estimate of pooled prevalence of stunting was 23·2 % (95 % CI 23·3, 23·5) in preschoolers (age < 5 years), but was markedly higher in indigenous and rural communities. Pooled prevalence of obesity was 8·1 % (95 % CI 6·9, 9·3), 10·7 % (95 % CI 9·6, 11·7) and 10·5 % (95 % CI 9·2, 11·8) in preschoolers, school-age children (age: 5–11 years) and adolescent (age: 12–18 years), respectively. In adults (age ≥ 19 years), the rate of obesity was remarkably high as indicated by an overall estimate equal to 44·2 % (95 % CI 43·1, 45·4).

This study underlines high levels of stunting among children and obesity among adults in Ecuador, both of which are not equally distributed among the population. The magnitude of this double burden emphasises the need for sustained and targeted interventions.

To assess whether the observed prevalence of the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) would be higher than expected on the basis of chance, through analyses at national, wealth quintile and individual child levels.

We selected nationally representative surveys from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) carried out since 2005 with anthropometric measures on children under 5 years of age. Household wealth was assessed through asset indices. The expected prevalence of DBM was estimated by multiplying the prevalence of stunting (low height/length for age) and overweight (high weight for height/length). The WHO recommended cut-offs (20% for stunting and 10% for overweight) that were used to define DBM at national level. DBM at individual level was defined as co-occurrence of stunting and overweight in the same child.

Nationally representative surveys from ninety-three LMIC.

A total of 825 633 children were studied.

DBM at national level was observed in five countries, whereas it would be expected to occur in eleven countries. Six countries did not present evidence of DBM at national level but did so in at least one wealth quintile. At individual level, thirty countries (32·3%) showed higher prevalence of DBM than would be expected, but most differences were small except for Syria, Azerbaijan, Albania and Egypt.

The observed number of countries or socio-economic subgroups within countries with the DBM using recommended thresholds was below what would be expected by chance. However, individual-level analyses showed that one-third of countries presented higher prevalence of DBM than would be expected.

To draw lessons from Fiji regarding the challenges and opportunities for policy initiatives to restrict (i) food marketing to children and (ii) marketing of breast milk substitutes, to inform policy for the double burden of malnutrition.

Qualitative political economy analysis of two policy case studies.

Fiji.

Eleven key informants from relevant sectors, representing public health, economic and consumer interests.

This study used two policy initiatives as case studies to examine factors influencing decision-making: Marketing Controls (Foods for Infants and Young Children) Regulations 2010, amended in 2016 to remove guidelines and restrictions on marketing in the form of labelling, and the draft Advertising and Promotion of Unhealthy Foods and Non-Alcoholic Beverages to Children Regulation developed in 2014 but awaiting review by the Solicitor General’s Office. Factors identified included: a policy paradigm in which regulation of business activity contradicts economic policy goals; limited perception by key policy actors of links between nutrition and marketing of breast milk substitutes, foods and beverages; and a power imbalance between industry and public health stakeholders in policymaking. Regulation of marketing for health purposes sits within the health sector’s interest but not its legislative remit, while within the economic sector’s remit but not interest. Opportunities to strengthen restrictions on marketing to improve nutrition and health include reframing the policy issue, strategic advocacy and community engagement.

Restricting marketing should be recognised by public health actors as a public health and an industry policy issue, to support strategic engagement with economic policy actors.

To describe and quantify the magnitude and distribution of stunting, wasting, anaemia, overweight and obesity by wealth, level of education and ethnicity in Ecuador.

We used nationally representative data from the 2012 Ecuadorian National Health and Nutrition Survey. We used the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) as a proxy of wealth. The MPI identifies deprivations across three dimensions (health, education and standard of living). We defined education by years of schooling and ethnicity as a social construct, based on shared social, cultural and historical experiences, using Ecuadorian census categories.

Urban and rural Ecuador, including the Amazon rainforest and the Galapagos Islands.

Children aged <5 years (n 8580), adolescent women aged 11–19 years (n 4043) and adult women aged 20–49 years (n 15 203).

Among children <5 years, stunting and anaemia disproportionately affected low-wealth, low-education and indigenous groups. Among adolescent and adult women, higher rates of stunting, overweight and obesity were observed in the low-education and low-wealth groups. Stunting and short stature rates were higher in indigenous women, whereas overweight and obesity rates were higher in Afro-Ecuadorian women.

Malnutrition differs significantly across sociodemographic groups, disproportionately affecting those in the low wealth tertile and ethnic minorities. Rates of stunting remain high compared with other countries in the region with similar economic development. The effective implementation of double-duty actions with the potential to impact both sides of the double burden is urgently required.

The persistence of undernutrition, along with overweight and obesity, constitute the double burden of malnutrition. The present study aimed to: (i) describe the prevalence and trends of concurrent stunting and overweight in Indonesian children; (ii) identify potentially associated risk factors; and (iii) determine whether stunted children are at greater risk of overweight compared with those of healthy height.

A secondary data analysis of children aged 2·0–4·9 years in four cross-sectional studies of the Indonesian Family Life Survey. Children’s height and BMI Z-scores were calculated based on the WHO Child Growth Standards (2006). We defined ‘concurrent stunting and overweight’ as height-for-age Z-score <−2 and BMI Z-score >+1. Multivariate generalised linear latent and mixed models were used to determine associated risk factors.

Thirteen out of twenty-seven provinces in Indonesia.

Children (n 4101) from four waves of the Indonesian Family Life Survey (1993–2007).

There were inconsistent trends in the prevalence of concurrent stunting and overweight from waves 1 to 4. Children were more likely to be stunted and overweight when they were in the youngest age group (2·0–2·9 years), were weaned after the age of 6 months, had short-statured mothers or lived in rural areas. Stunted children were significantly more likely to be overweight than healthy-height children (OR>1) but did not differ significantly different across each wave (OR=1·34–2·01).

Concurrent stunting and overweight occurs in Indonesian children aged 2·0–4·9 years. Current policies and programmes need to be tailored for the management of this phenomenon.

To report on the trends and determinants of undernutrition among children <5 years old in Kenya.

Data from four nationwide Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys, conducted in 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008–2009, were analysed. The Demographic and Health Survey utilizes a multistage stratified sampling technique.

Nationwide covering rural and urban areas in Kenya.

The analysis included 4757, 4433, 4892 and 4958 Kenyan children aged <5 years in 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2009–2009, respectively.

The prevalence of stunting decreased by 4·6 percentage points from 39·9 % in 1993 to 35·3 % in 2008–2009, while underweight decreased by 2·7 percentage points from 18·7 % in 1993 to 16·0 % in 2008–2009. The effects of household wealth, maternal education and current maternal nutritional status on child nutrition outcomes have changed dynamically in more recent years in Kenya. Inadequate hygiene facilities increased the likelihood of chronic undernutrition in at least three of the surveys. Small size of the child at birth, childhood diarrhoea and male gender increased the likelihood of undernutrition in at least three of the surveys. Childhood undernutrition occurred concurrently with maternal overnutrition in some households.

The analysis reveals a slow decline of undernutrition among young children in Kenya over the last three decades. However, stunting and underweight still remain of public health significance. There is evidence of an emerging trend of a malnutrition double burden demonstrated by stunted and underweight children whose mothers are overweight.

Both stunting and overweight are present in children across China. Seemingly paradoxical, these two conditions can also coexist in the same child. The aim was to examine the associations between dietary food/nutrient intake and plasma lipid profiles related to stunting and overweight status.

The 2002 China National Nutrition and Health Survey was a family-based nationally representative cross-sectional study.

Thirty-one provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

The study included 13 770 children aged 2–17 years. The sample size for the four exposure groups was 10 814 for children of normal height and weight, 2128 for stunted, 729 for overweight and 99 for stunted overweight.

Compared with children of normal height and weight, stunted and stunted overweight children consumed more high-energy-dense foods with a lower dietary diversity score, less protein, polyunsaturated fat and Fe, and a higher molar ratio of phytate to Ca. On the contrary, overweight children tended to consume significantly less carbohydrates and more protein and fat. Overall, stunted overweight children consumed lower amounts of vegetables, fruit, white meat (poultry and fish) and more milk. The OR for prevalent dyslipidaemia were 1·32 (95 % CI 1·13, 1·53), 1·76 (95 % CI 1·48, 2·09) and 2·59 (95 % CI 1·65, 4·07) among stunted, overweight and stunted overweight children, respectively, compared with children of normal height and weight. In addition, being overweight was significantly associated with high glucose concentrations, whereas stunting was significantly associated with having anaemia.

Limited dietary diversity and intake of high-energy-dense foods were notably observed among stunted overweight children. Furthermore, being stunted and/or overweight was associated with an increased likelihood of unhealthy lipid profiles.