Children living at 2000+ m above sea level in India are 40% more at risk than those living 1000m below. Children in rural areas seem to be the most vulnerable.
Living at higher altitudes is linked to an increased risk of stunted growth in India, with children living in homes 2000 meters (~6600 feet) or more above sea level 40% more at risk than those living 1000 meters (~3300 feet) below. This is according to research published in the open-access journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health.
Children living in rural areas seem to be the most vulnerable, prompting the researchers to advocate prioritizing nutritional programs in hilly and mountainous regions of the country.
Despite various initiatives, childhood stunting, caused by chronic malnutrition, remains a major public health challenge in India, affecting over a third of 5-year-olds, note the researchers.
While research from other countries indicates a link between residential altitude and stunting, it’s not clear if this might also be applicable in India, where a substantial number of people live more than 2500 meters above sea level.
To explore this further, the researchers drew on data from the 2015–16 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), a nationally representative household survey of India. Some 167,555 children under the age of 5 from across the country were included in the analysis.
DOI: 10.1136/bmjnph-2024-000895