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UNICEF Stunting Causal Framework

Three immediate causes of stunting in children are inadequate food intake, low birth weight, and incidence of childhood disease. These causes are interrelated and rooted in household-level problems like low incomes leading to poor nutrition, large family sizes causing low birth weight, and lack of healthcare increasing disease risk. Household behaviors around reproduction, feeding, and hygiene are also determinants of stunting risk. Community systems such as the economy, education, health services, and infrastructure further impact household conditions and stunting prevention.

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608 views2 pages

UNICEF Stunting Causal Framework

Three immediate causes of stunting in children are inadequate food intake, low birth weight, and incidence of childhood disease. These causes are interrelated and rooted in household-level problems like low incomes leading to poor nutrition, large family sizes causing low birth weight, and lack of healthcare increasing disease risk. Household behaviors around reproduction, feeding, and hygiene are also determinants of stunting risk. Community systems such as the economy, education, health services, and infrastructure further impact household conditions and stunting prevention.

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Astutik
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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UNICEF FRAMEWORK

A schematic overview of the factors known from international experience to cause chronic
malnutrition, or stunting.

There are three immediate (proximate) causes of an individual child becoming stunted: inadequate food
intake, low birth weight, and the incidence and management of childhood disease. These causes are
interrelated: disease can reduce food intake, and low food intake increases the vulnerability to disease.

E h off these
Each th proximate
i t causes off stunting
t ti is i rooted
t d in
i problems
bl att the
th hhousehold
h ld llevel.l L
Low iincomes llead
d
to low food intake. Large family sizes and short birth spacing lead to low birth weight, as do poor feeding
practices during pregnancy. Poor feeding practices can also lead to inadequate food intake in infants, even
in households that do not face economic constraints. Lack of health care (including immunizations) and of
access to water and sanitation services lead to an increase in disease.

Many of the factors identified at this level of the model are linked to the behavior of individuals or families.
Reproductive choices, feeding practices, and health care and hygiene practices in the home are all critical
d
determinants
i off the
h probability
b bili that
h a child
hild will
ill grow adequately.
d l

Each household-level problem, in turn, has its correlates at the community level: the local economy, the
education system, the health system, and the water and sanitation system all provide critical inputs into the
process of preventing malnutrition. Similarly, underlying the behaviors observed at the household level are
the cultural norms prevalent in society. (World Bank, Nutrition Failure in Ecuador, 2007).

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