Malnutrition status and impact of daily activities and dietary habits on stunting: A study of 4,871 preschool children in Inner-City Hanoi
Vol. 134 No. 1D (2025), Original Article
Vol. 134 No. 1D (2025)

Malnutrition status and impact of daily activities and dietary habits on stunting: A study of 4,871 preschool children in Inner-City Hanoi

Original Article
https://doi.org/10.26459/hueunijns.v134i1D.7595
Published 2025-12-24
Le Thi Tuyet*
Hanoi National University of Education, Hanoi, Vietnam
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3308-5886
Dung Nhi Nguyen
Hanoi National University of Education, Hanoi, Vietnam
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8431-1232
Tuan Minh Do
Hanoi National University of Education, Hanoi, Vietnam
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Keywords

Daily routine
dietary habit
preschool children
malutrition status
stunting Hoạt động hàng ngày
Thói quen ăn uống
Trẻ mầm non
tình trạng suy dinh dưỡng
thấp còi

How to Cite

1.
Le TT, Nguyen DN, Do TM. Malnutrition status and impact of daily activities and dietary habits on stunting: A study of 4,871 preschool children in Inner-City Hanoi. hueuni-jns [Internet]. 2025Dec.24 [cited 2026Feb.5];134(1D):73-82. Available from: https://jos.hueuni.edu.vn/index.php/hujos-ns/article/view/7595
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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate malnutrition and the impact of daily activities and dietary habits on stunting in preschool children to identify effective prevention strategies. The study consisted of two phases: a cross-sectional analysis of 4,871 children from nine preschools in Hoang Mai District and a case-control study of 207 stunted children and 2,984 normal-height children, using the WHO criteria for nutritional status classification. The results indicated that the prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting was 3.6, 7, and 2.4%, respectively. Underweight and stunting were more common among girls (4.4 vs. 3.0% and 8 vs. 6%, respectively), while wasting was slightly higher in boys (2.5 vs. 2.2%). Significant associations with stunting included less than one hour of moderate and vigorous physical activity (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.71) and meal times exceeding 40 minutes (OR = 1.73). Preferring to eat lean meat reduced the risk of stunting (OR = 0.72, 95% confidence interval is 0.54–0.98). Factors such as nighttime sleep duration, bedtime, active physical activities at school, sedentary behaviours, and preferences for fats, sweets, eggs, vegetables, and milk consumption before sleep were not significantly associated with stunting. The study suggests that monitoring eating times, encouraging more moderate and vigorous physical activity, and increasing lean meat consumption can help reduce the risk of stunting in children.

https://doi.org/10.26459/hueunijns.v134i1D.7595
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