Child wasting, a form of acute malnutrition characterized by low weight-for-height, fell in the Philippines from 8 percent in 2013 to 5.7 percent in 2018, a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) showed.
However, the country missed its 2022 target of reducing wasting to 5 percent, leaving about 800,000 children affected, according to the study, “What Determines the Decline of Wasting in the Philippines?” by PIDS senior research fellow Valerie Gilbert Ulep and senior research specialist Lyle Daryll Casas.
Using data from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute’s (FNRI) National Nutrition Survey, the authors identified wealth status, maternal nutrition and children’s total energy intake as key factors in the decline.
These factors accounted for 44 percent of the reduction in wasting prevalence between 2013 and 2018, the study found.
“Our analysis shows that improvements in economic conditions, maternal nutrition, and total energy intake have driven the reduction in child wasting,” the authors said.
“Sufficient financial resources give children an increased advantage of optimal nutrition by ensuring access to healthcare services and adequate food,” they said.
The PIDS study found a strong link between maternal nutritional status and child wasting, with children of underweight mothers more vulnerable to acute undernutrition.
While energy intake was a factor, the study noted that diet diversity and quality are potentially 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 said.
The authors noted the Philippines’ economic and social improvements between 2013 and 2018, with GDP growth averaging 6.6 percent annually and declining poverty rates, contributing to the decline in wasting.
Investments in maternal and child health programs, including the 2018 First 1,000 Days Law, also strengthened nutrition focus.
Despite progress, wasting remains a major risk factor for disease burden among children under five, accounting for 3.3 percent of disability-adjusted life years in that age group.
The authors said illness and inadequate nutrition interventions could undermine improved food security and economic conditions.
Due to data limitations, the study could not account for factors like child illnesses, water and sanitation access and feeding practices, the authors said.