PREVALENCE OF MALNUTRITION AMONG PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY AT THUONG LY KINDERGARTEN, HAI PHONG CITY, AND NGUYEN DU KINDERGARTEN, HA TINH CITY

This study evaluated the nutritional status of 474 children aged 3-5 years from Thuong Ly Kindergarten in Hai Phong City (n = 274; 132 boys, 142 girls) and Nguyen Du Kindergarten in Ha Tinh City (n = 200; 109 boys, 91 girls) using WHO growth standards and Anthro software. The findings reveal significant disparities in stunting, wasting, underweight, and overnutrition between provinces and genders. Nguyen Du Kindergarten exhibited alarmingly high rates of stunting (24.5%) and underweight (13.0%), with boys more affected (25.7% and 18.3%, respectively). In contrast, Thuong Ly Kindergarten had much lower rates of stunting (4.0%) and underweight (2.9%), though boys had slightly higher rates of wasting (6.0%) compared to girls (2.1%). Overnutrition was prevalent in both regions, particularly among boys. In Thuong Ly Kindergarten, the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 7.6% and 3.8% in boys, compared to 4.2% and 1.4% in girls, respectively. Similarly, in Nguyen Du Kindergarten, boys exhibited higher overweight (7.3%) and obesity rates (4.6%) compared to girls (5.5% and 1.1%, respectively). Overall, Nguyen Du Kindergarten demonstrated a greater burden of overnutrition (9.5%) compared to Thuong Ly Kindergarten (8.2%), with statistical significance (P = 0.049). These results highlight the double burden of malnutrition across regions, with Ha Tinh facing higher rates of both undernutrition and overnutrition. Effective, context-specific interventions tailored to local socio-economic and demographic contexts are essential to address these challenges and promote optimal growth and health outcomes in preschool children.