South East Asian Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS) II - a multi-country evaluation of nutrition and lifestyle indicators in children aged 12 years and below: rationale and design.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the nutritional status, growth parameters and lifestyle behaviours of children between 0·5 and 12 years in nationally representative samples in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the four countries, between May 2019 and April 2021. Data collected can be categorised into four categories: (1) Growth - anthropometry, body composition, development disorder, (2) nutrient intake and dietary habits - 24-h dietary recall, child food habits, breast-feeding and complementary feeding, (3) socio-economic status - food insecurity and child health status/environmental and (4) lifestyle behaviours - physical activity patterns, fitness, sunlight exposure, sleep patterns, body image and behavioural problems. Blood samples were also collected for biochemical and metabolomic analyses. With the pandemic emerging during the study, a COVID-19 questionnaire was developed and implemented. SETTING: Both rural and urban areas in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. PARTICIPANTS: Children who were well, with no physical disability or serious infections/injuries and between the age of 0·5 and 12 years old, were recruited. RESULTS: The South East Asian Nutrition Surveys II recruited 13 933 children. Depending on the country, data collection from children was conducted in schools and commune health centres, or temples, or sub-district administrative organisations. CONCLUSIONS: The results will provide up-to-date insights into nutritional status and lifestyle behaviours of children in the four countries. Subsequently, these data will facilitate exploration of potential gaps in dietary intake among Southeast Asian children and enable local authorities to plan future nutrition and lifestyle intervention strategies.

Prevalence and risk factors of functional gastrointestinal disorders in Vietnamese infants and young children.

BACKGROUND: Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common early in life. The prevalence of FGIDs varies among countries but is unknown in Vietnam. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of FGIDs in healthy Vietnamese infants and young children. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, observational study involving healthy infants and young children between 0 - 48 months old in Hanoi, Vietnam. A representative total of 1511 subjects completed the validated questionnaire on paediatric FGIDs. Rome IV criteria were used to define FGIDs. RESULTS: For Vietnamese infants (0-6 months) and young children (7-48 months), the prevalence of having at least one FGID was 10.0% and only 0.6% was having more than one FGID. Infantile regurgitation (9.3%) was the most prevalent FGID among infants 0-6 months of age while all other FGIDs had a low prevalence between 0-2.5%. For young children between 7 - 48 months old, functional constipation was the most common disorder at the rate of 5.6%. Association analysis revealed that the risk of infant regurgitation was significantly lower among infants with exclusively breastfeeding at 2 - 3 months and 3 - 4 months, formula initiation at 0 - 1 months, and higher paternal education level. The prevalence of functional constipation was significantly higher in male subjects, children in families with annual household income between 273,000,000 - 546,999,999 VND (or estimate around 11,800 - 23,800 USD), families with one child only, and formula feeding initiation at 1 - 2 months. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of FGIDs in Vietnamese infants and young children is relatively low compared to the published literature using Rome IV diagnostic criteria. Infantile regurgitation was the most common FGID in Vietnamese infants while functional constipation was most prevalent among Vietnamese young children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Registry Identifier: NL7286/NTR7495 .

Prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders in infants and young children in China.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) in children, particularly from Asia, is largely unknown. There are not many studies done in Asia especially using the Rome IV criteria. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of FGIDs in infants and young children in a representative sample in China. METHODS: A prospective, cross-sectional, community-based survey was conducted among healthy infants and young children between the ages of 0-4 years in Jinhua and Shanghai, China. A total of 2604 subjects (1300 subjects from Jinhua and 1304 subjects from Shanghai) completed a validated questionnaire on pediatric gastrointestinal symptoms. FGIDs in infants and young children were diagnosed using the Rome IV criteria. RESULTS: According to the Rome IV criteria, the prevalence of having a FGID in Chinese infants and young children is 27.3%. Infant regurgitation (33.9%) was the most common FGID among the 0-6 months old while functional constipation (7.0%) was the most common among the 1-4 years old. Risk factor analysis revealed that prevalence of infantile colic was higher with better maternal education and low birth weight. Prevalence of infantile regurgitation was significantly greater in males, living in a rural area, being exclusively breast fed at least up to 4 months and starting formula feeds within the first month. The risk of functional constipation was lower for infants who were delivered vaginally. CONCLUSIONS: Infantile regurgitation was the most common FGID in Chinese infants while functional constipation was most prevalent among young Chinese children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Registry Identifier: NL6973/NTR7161 .