The Relationship between Stunting and Some Demographic and Socioeconomic Factors among Yemeni Children and Adolescents

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of sex, residence area, age group, school
enrollment, poverty status and income quintiles variables on the prevalence of stunting among
Yemeni children and adolescents. The investigation was done on all children and adolescents (3004)
aged 519
years that included in the last Yemeni household Budget Survey (YHBS) data of
2005/2006. The data included a classification to the poverty status of surveyed households. The cutoff
of 2
z scores of the heightforage
reference suggested by NCHS, was used to calculate the
prevalence rate of stunting. Descriptive, categorical testing, logit modelling statistical analysis tools
were used in the investigation. The statistical analysis shows the overall prevalence rate of stunting as
49.5% and the prevalence of stunting among males is higher than females. The prevalence of
stunting among rural children and adolescents is higher than the urban children and adolescents and
among children and adolescents who were not enrolled is higher than those enrolled. Children and
adolescents of poor households were suffering from stunting (52.8%) as comparing to children and
adolescents of nonpoor
households (47.7%). Children and adolescents living with the poorest,
second and middleincome
households were 1.76, 1.73 and 1.46 times more likely to be stunted
respectively. The research provides an evidence that the childhood health situation in Yemen is
chaotic and needs careful and effective cooperation and efforts both nationally and internationally to
divert the foreseen danger looming.