Child, maternal and household-level correlates of nutritional status: a cross-sectional study among young Samoan children

Abstract

The observed prevalences of stunting, overweight/obesity and anaemia suggest that it is critical to invest in nutrition and develop health programmes targeting early childhood growth and development in Samoa.

Sex differences in the associations of physical activity and macronutrient intake with child body composition: A cross‐sectional study of 3‐ to 7‐year‐olds in Samoa

“…This analysis includes data collected from n = 83 children who were a randomly selected, sex‐ and regionally representative subset of n = 424 participants in the second wave of an ongoing longitudinal study, Ola Tuputupua'e (“Growing Up”), which aims to understand growth, development, and nutrition among Samoan children . This subsample was selected to undergo objective monitoring of physical activity and DXA body composition assessment as part of a pilot study to understand the feasibility of incorporating these measures into future waves of cohort data collection.…”

“…The survey was not nationally representative but was designed to equally represent each of the three census regions of Upolu, since one of the study objectives was to describe child health according to urbanization. The sampling approach and the age group selected were chosen for consistency with a prior National Nutrition Survey (the only prior study of child nutritional status in Samoa), which was conducted in 1999 . In 2017 (wave 2), 424 mother‐child pairs participated (240 returning participants and 184 newly recruited participants).…”

“…MLS was calculated by summing ownership of 19 household items such as a refrigerator, television, and washing machine. A 115‐item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), validated for use in adult Samoan populations and adapted for paediatric populations, was also administered to each mother . All mothers indicated that they were primarily responsible for the dietary intake of the child and that they were familiar with the child's dietary intake over the 30‐day FFQ reference period.…”

“…Lazaar et al, for example, have shown in French children aged 6 to 10 years that physical activity can strongly protect against overweight and obesity, specifically in girls . To our knowledge, data from Pacific Island nations are limited to one recent cross‐sectional study among 2‐ to 4‐year‐old Samoan children that identified no associations among dietary intake, physical activity, and overweight/obesity, although it should be noted that questionnaire measures of physical activity were used rather than objective measurement …”

“…As overweight and obesity are widely regarded as issues of energy imbalance, both etiological studies and interventions to prevent or treat childhood overweight and obesity have focused on energy intake and/or expenditure . Results regarding dietary intake vary widely .…”