Investigating the Growth, Developmental Status, and Some Social Determinants Related to Children Under Five Years Old who were Referred to Comprehensive Urban Health Centers in Zanjan -2021

Background: Considering the role of the growth and developmental status of children on their adulthood health status, and the effect of some related social determinants, the continuous assessment of these indices is very important. Objectives: The present study was conducted to investigate the growth, and developmental status of children under five years, and some social factors related to in children referred to Zanjan urban comprehensive health centers in 2021. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 397 children less than five years old (4 -60 months) using multi-stage random sampling according to the age and gender of children. The tools used in this study included demographic and social determinants questionnaires, Ages Stages validated Questionnaires, and calibrated meters and scales to monitor growth and developmental status. The data were analyzed using Spss software 26. Results: Almost 50% of fathers had a private job and 69.8% of mothers were housewives.  Nearly 34% of mothers and 39% of fathers had an academic higher education degree. The most normal cases of children’s development have belonged to the area of gross movements (94.2%) and the least normal cases belonged to the area of delicate movements (90.7%). There was a significant relationship between the variables of father’s occupation, father’s corporal punishment experience, child’s gender, neighborhood (geographical regions), and parents’ age with developmental status. Children’s growth was also significantly related to the neighborhood (geographical regions) (height: P=0.001, weight: P=0.008, head circumference: P=0.017), but it was not related to other demographic and social determinants. The results of the logistic regression test showed that for every one-year increase in the age of the father or mother, the chance of the child being abnormal in the field of gross movements decreased by 10%. Conclusion: The neighborhood and physical environment (geographical regions) was the most important common social determinant in children who had a delay in growth or development. This shows the importance of attention, intervention, and more studies on equality and equity in health for areas that are involved with economic problems and poverty cultural issues, parents’ knowledge and awareness of parenting methods, which lead to many problems in the growth and developmental status of children, their health and its complications.