Dataset Information

Sex effect on growth faltering in an indigenous ethnic minority population of infants in Israel.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

We examined sex effects on growth faltering in an indigenous population of Bedouin Arab infants born in Israel, an economically developed country.

Design

Retrospective cohort study. Height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) at age 6, 12, 18 and 24 months was calculated for full-term, normal-birth-weight Bedouin infants born during years 2000-2009 and attending maternal and child health (MCH) clinics. Multivariate linear regression analysis (MLRA) was used to calculate the association between sex and HAZ, controlling for year of birth, birth weight (BW) and residence by type of settlement (established settlement (ES); non-established settlement (NES)).

Setting

Bedouin are an indigenous poor community of semi-nomadic Arabs, with the highest infant mortality rate in Israel. Fifty per cent of Bedouin infants live in NES with inadequate access to running water, electricity, and rubbish and sewage disposal. All Bedouin receive free well-baby care in community-based MCH clinics.

Participants

Full-term, normal Bedouin infants (n 5426) born during 2000-2009 and attending computerized MCH clinics who had growth measurements at age 6, 12, 18 and 24 months.

Results

At all ages, girls had significantly higher mean HAZ than boys (P < 0·05). Increasing birth year, residence in ES and increasing BW were positively associated with HAZ (P < 0·05) at all ages. In MLRA controlling for birth year, BW and type of settlement, sex still had a significant effect, with lower HAZ among boys at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of age (P < 0·001 at all ages).

Conclusions

Our results indicated that sex effects on growth faltering can occur in an indigenous population with low socio-economic status within an economically developed country.

SUBMITTER: Bilenko N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10260503 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Sex effect on growth faltering in an indigenous ethnic minority population of infants in Israel.

Bilenko Natalya N Belmaker Ilana I

Public health nutrition 20190705 15

<h4>Objective</h4>We examined sex effects on growth faltering in an indigenous population of Bedouin Arab infants born in Israel, an economically developed country.<h4>Design</h4>Retrospective cohort study. Height-for-age Z-score (HAZ) at age 6, 12, 18 and 24 months was calculated for full-term, normal-birth-weight Bedouin infants born during years 2000-2009 and attending maternal and child health (MCH) clinics. Multivariate linear regression analysis (MLRA) was used to calculate the association ...[more]

PMID: 31274067

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Dataset Information

Sex effect on growth faltering in an indigenous ethnic minority population of infants in Israel.

Objective

Design

Setting

Participants

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Sex effect on growth faltering in an indigenous ethnic minority population of infants in Israel.

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