Nutrition of young children and mothers in Rwanda : findings from the 2000 Rwanda demographic and health survey = Nutrition des jeunes enfants et des meres au Rwanda : resultats de l"EDS Rwanda 2000

Other outcomes include an increased risk of illness and a lower level of cognitive development, which results in lower educational attainment. In adulthood, the accumulated effects of long-term malnutrition can be a reduction in workers" productivity and increased absenteeism in the workplace; these may reduce a person"s lifetime earning potential and ability to contribute to the national economy. Furthermore, malnutrition can result in adverse pregnancy outcomes. The data presented here are from the 2000 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS 2000), a nationally representative survey of 10,206 households, requested by the Rwandan Ministry of Health and conducted by the National Population Office (ONAPO). ORC Macro provided technical assistance through its MEASURE DHS+ program. Financial Assistance was provided by the U.S. Agency for International development (USAID), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Children"s Fund (UNICEF). Of the 8,188 children age 0-59 months who were part of the study, 6,490 are alive and have complete anthropometric data and are therefore included in the nutrition analyses. Unless otherwise noted, all analyses include only children who reside with their mother. Nutritional data collected on these children include height, weight, age, breastfeeding history, and feeding patterns. Information was also collected on the prevalence of diarrhea and acute respiratory infection (ARI) in the two weeks prior to the survey and on relevant sociodemographic characteristics. For comparison, data are presented from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in other sub-Saharan countries. (POPLINE abstract)