The effect of malaria on stunting: an instrumental variables approach

Ateba, Francois Freddy, Doumbia, Seydou, terKuile, Feiko ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3663-5617, Terlouw, Anja ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5327-8995, Lefebvre, Genevieve, Kariuki, Simon and Small, Dylan (2021) 'The effect of malaria on stunting: an instrumental variables approach'. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Vol 115, Issue 9, pp. 1094-1098.

Text Ateba malaria and stunting Kenya TRSTMH 2021.docx - Accepted Version Download (112kB)

Abstract

Background
Previous studies have found mixed evidence for an effect of malaria on stunting, but have suffered from concerns about confounding and/or power. Currently, an effect of malaria on stunting is not included in the Lives Saved Tool (LiST) model.

Methods
We used instrumental variables regression with the sickle cell trait and random assignment to bednets as instruments in the analysis of data on children aged 0–2 y from a bednet trial in western Kenya.

Results
We estimated that one additional clinical malaria episode per year increases the odds of a child being stunted by 6% (OR estimate: 1.06, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.11).

Conclusions
Our finding that malaria affects stunting suggests that an effect of malaria on stunting in young children should be considered in the LiST model.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 395 Health in developing countries WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 750 Malaria WH Hemic and Lymphatic Systems > Hematologic Diseases. Immunologic Factors. Blood Banks > WH 170 Hemolytic anemia (e.g., Sickle cell anemia) WS Pediatrics > WS 100 General works WS Pediatrics > By Age Groups > WS 430 Infancy
Faculty: Department:	Clinical Sciences & International Health > Clinical Sciences Department
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/traa183
Depositing User:	Helen Wong
Date Deposited:	02 Feb 2021 10:44
Last Modified:	25 Jan 2022 02:02
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/16816

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