Risk Factors for Growth Failure of One-Year Old Children in the Suburbs of Bandar Abbas City: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study in the South of Iran, Conducted by Bandar Abbas Health Research Station

The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors of growth failure of one-year old children in the suburban regions of Bandar-e-Abbas City based on a population-based cohort study conducted by Bandar Abbas Health Research Station, affiliated to School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences in the south of Iran.

In this prospective cohort study in 2021, data on the growth of 540 one-year old infants obtained in a cohort study aiming to identify contributors to mother and child health in the suburbs of Bandar-e-Abbas City, Iran were used. The outcomes included weight, height, and head circumference growth failures among one-year infants. Data analysis was performed using the STATA software version 14, the statistical tests being descriptive statistics and univariate and multiple logistic regressions.

Low birth weight was found to increase the odds of one-year-old children’s weight growth failure 3.05 times (the adjusted odds ratio, OR = 3.05; 95% CI: 8.91-1.04). A low socioeconomic status reduced the odds of head circumference growth failure 59% (the adjusted OR = 0.41; 95% CI: 0.19-0.89), and a low birth weight increased the odds of head circumference growth failure 2.46 times (adjusted OR = 2.46; 95% CI: 1.01-5.97). None of the maternal and childhood factors were related to the one-year-old child height growth failure.

The findings of this study show that low birth weight increases the odds of normal body growth and head circumference growth failures at the age on one year, while a low socioeconomic status reduces the odds of head circumference growth failure. There are no relations between any of the maternal and childhood factors and height growth failure at the age of one year.