Obesity among children up 9% in 2023

The percentage of children under five who are overweight rose by 9% in 2023 compared to 2012, when a 4% uptick was recorded, according to the Department of Statistics (DoS). The DoS's 2023 Population and Family Health Survey revealed that the percentage of children under five with stunted growth remained stable at 8% compared to the previous survey in 2012. However, this figure has improved since the first survey in 1997, when the rate was 11%. The emaciation indicator has stabilized from 1997 until the current year at 2% for children under the age of five. According to the survey, only 34% of infants aged 0-23 months were breastfed within the first hour of birth. Only 24% of infants under 6 months are breastfed, while 42% of children aged 6-23 months receive diverse nutrition. The survey showed a decline in exclusive breastfeeding among children aged 0-5 months, reaching 24 percent in 2023 compared to 39 percent in 1990. The results indicated that approximately one-third of children aged 6-59 months s uffer from anemia, including 19% suffering from mild anemia, 13% suffering from moderate anemia, and less than 1% suffering from severe anemia. The prevalence of anemia among Jordanian children remained largely unchanged between 2002 and 2023, declining slightly from 34 percent to 32 percent. According to the results, there were 14 deaths per 1,000 live births. The mortality rate for children under 12 months was one death per 1,000 children. The overall mortality rate for children under the age of five was 15 deaths per 1,000 live births. The neonatal mortality rate was 9 deaths per 1,000 live births, and the postnatal mortality rate was 6 deaths per 1,000 live births. The neonatal mortality rate has decreased from 21 deaths per 1,000 live births to 9 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the infant mortality rate has decreased from 34 to 14 deaths per 1,000 live births. Additionally, the mortality rate of children under the age of five has decreased from 39 to 15 deaths per 1,000 live births during the same period. Source: Jordan News Agency