Child wasting — a form of malnutrition characterized by low weight-for-height indicating acute undernutrition — has significantly declined in the Philippines, with a sharp drop from 8% in 2013 to 5.7% in 2018, according to a recent study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
While this marks significant progress, the country still missed its 2022 target of reducing wasting to 5%, leaving around 800,000 children affected by acute undernutrition.
These findings are detailed in a study titled “What Determines the Decline of Wasting in the Philippines?” authored by PIDS Senior Research Fellow Valerie Gilbert T. Ulep and Senior Research Specialist Lyle Daryll D. Casas.
Using the data from the National Nutrition Survey by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), the authors identified wealth status, maternal nutrition, and children’s total energy intake as critical determinants of the decline.
The study revealed that these factors collectively contributed to 44% of the reduction in wasting prevalence between 2013 and 2018.
“Our analysis shows that improvements in economic conditions, maternal nutrition, and total energy intake have driven the reduction in child wasting,” the authors stated.
“Sufficient financial resources give the children an increased advantage of optimal nutrition by ensuring access to healthcare services and adequate food,” they noted.
The PIDS study found a strong correlation between maternal nutritional status and child wasting, showing that children of underweight mothers tend to have lower weight-for-height Z-scores, making them vulnerable to acute undernutrition.
These findings underscore the importance of maternal health in reducing child wasting and improving overall nutritional outcomes.
While energy intake was another significant determinant, the study emphasized that diet diversity and quality might be even more critical.
“For wasting, it is also important to note that the diversity of diet (quality), more than the quantity, as evidenced by the total energy intake, is more important,” the authors explained.
The authors noted that the period between 2013 and 2018 saw substantial improvements in the Philippines’ economic and social conditions, which contributed to the decline in wasting prevalence.
The country’s GDP grew at an annual average of 6.6% while poverty rates declined, improving household access to better nutrition and healthcare.
Moreover, investments in maternal and child health programs—including the passage of the First 1,000 Days Law in 2018—strengthened the focus on improving nutrition during critical stages of life.
Despite these advances, challenges remain.
Wasting continues to be one of the top five risk factors for disease burden among children under five, accounting for 3.3% of total disability-adjusted life years in this age group.
The authors stressed that illness and inadequate nutrition interventions could undermine the benefits of improved food security and economic conditions.
Due to data limitations, the study could not account for other key factors — such as child illnesses, water and sanitation access, and feeding practices — that may also influence wasting prevalence.
Ulep and Cassas called for sustained maternal and child health investments, emphasizing preventive care and primary health services.
They urged policymakers and program implementers to focus on scaling effective interventions and recalibrating strategies to further reduce child wasting in the Philippines.
“Sustaining public efforts for maternal and child characteristics including the underlying determinants such as socioeconomic characteristics are important in further reducing the wasting prevalence in the country,” they concluded.
Read the complete study at https://bit.ly/pidsdp2024-23.
