Original scientific paper
Nutrition, Infection and Child Growth in Papua New Guinea
S. J. Ulijaszek
Abstract
Growth patterns of populations in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have traditionally
shown considerable variation, with the greatest difference lying between coastal and
highland populations. While genetic differences in explaining these patterns cannot be
excluded, the generally poor growth relative to western growth references is largely due
to the complex interactive effects of undernutrition and infection. The effects of diet, nutrition
and infection on the nutritional status of a child vary with age, the general disease
ecology and the type and extent of exposure to it, patterns of infant and young child
feeding, and types of food consumed. There are two possible ways in which the relationship
between undernutrition and infection can begin; one in which poor nutritional status
leads to impaired immunocompetence and reduced resistance to infection, and the
other in which exposure to infectious disease can lead to a range of factors that reduce
food intake, absorption of nutrients, or increase nutrient requirements. In PNG prior to,
and at early stages of modernisation, primary malnutrition is likely to have been the
usual initiating factor in the onset of growth faltering due to undernutrition-infection
interactions. However, the possibility that infection may have been the initiating event
in some societies cannot be excluded. This would have happened by way of early dietary
supplementation of infants with foods of minor nutritional significance, which could
have acted as a vehicle for the introduction of infectious disease to the child. With modernisation
and adoption of primary health care principles, earlier supplementation of
infant diet than was previously the case became common in PNG. This has lead to general
improvements in growth and nutritional status. However, in populations where
undernutrition is still common, infection has become more important than primary
malnutrition as the initiator of growth faltering due to undernutrition-infection interactions.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
17213
URI
Publication date:
16.12.2000.
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