Paternal smoking is associated with increased risk of child malnutrition among poor urban families in Indonesia.

摘要

Objective: Paternal smoking is highly prevalent in Asia, and tobacco may account for a large proportion of household expenditures among poor families. We sought to characterise the relationship between paternal smoking, child malnutrition and food expenditures. Design: Data on smoking, household expenditures and child malnutrition were examined in a stratified multistage cluster sample of households in the Indonesia nutrition surveillance system. Main outcome measures were child wasting (weight-for-height Z-score <-22), underweight (weight-for-age Z-score <-22) and stunting (height-for-age Z-score <-22), and severe wasting, underweight and stunting (defined by respective Z-scores <-23). Setting: In total, 175 583 households from urban slum areas in Indonesia. Subjects: Children 0-59 months of age. Results: The prevalence of paternal smoking was 73.8%. After adjusting for child gender and age, maternal age and education, and weekly per capita household expenditures, paternal smoking was associated with child stunting (odds ratio (OR)=1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.08-1.14, P<0.0001), severe wasting (OR=1.17, 95% CI 1.03-1.33, P=0.018) and severe stunting (OR=1.09, 95% CI 1.04-1.15, P<0.001). In households where the father was a smoker, tobacco accounted for 22% of weekly per capita household expenditures, with less money spent on food compared with households in which the father was a non-smoker. Conclusions: Among poor families in urban slum areas of Indonesia, paternal smoking diverts household money from food to tobacco and exacerbates child malnutrition.