A review of the prevalence, trends, and determinants of coexisting forms of malnutrition in neonates, infants, and children

OBJECTIVE: Coexisting Forms of Malnutrition (CFM) refers to the presence of more than one type of nutritional disorder in an individual. Worldwide, CFM affects more than half of all malnourished children, and compared to standalone forms of malnutrition, CFM is associated with a higher risk of illness and death. This review examined published literature for assessing the prevalence, trends, and determinants of CFM in neonates, infants, and children. METHODS: A review of community-based observational studies was conducted. Seven databases, (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medline, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were used in December-2021 to retrieve literature. Google, Google Scholar and TROVE were used to search for grey literature. Key stakeholders were also contacted for unpublished documents. Studies measuring the prevalence, and/or trends, and/or determinants of CFM presenting in individuals were included. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools for prevalence and longitudinal studies. RESULTS: The search retrieved 14,207 articles, of which 24 were included in this review. The prevalence of CFM varied by geographical area and specific types. In children under 5 years, the coexistence of stunting with overweight/obesity ranged from 0.8% in the United States to over 10% in Ukraine and Syria, while the prevalence of coexisting wasting with stunting ranged from 0.1% in most of the South American countries to 9.2% in Niger. A decrease in CFM prevalence was observed in all countries, except Indonesia. Studies in China and Indonesia showed a positive association between rurality of residence and coexisting stunting with overweight/obesity. Evidence for other risk and protective factors for CFM is too minimal or conflicting to be conclusive. CONCLUSION: Evidence regarding the prevalence, determinants and trends for CFM is scarce. Apart from the coexistence of stunting with overweight/obesity, the determinants of other types of CFM are unclear. CFM in any form results in an increased risk of health adversities which can be different from comparable standalone forms, thus, there is an urgent need to explore the determinants and distribution of different types of CFM. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13098-9.