Non-medical factors contributing to malnutrition in children under five in Papua New Guinea.

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 Malnutrition steals potential


By: Mckoi Malt, Christophilda Pih, & Veronica Pouna

 

Non-medical factors contributing to malnutrition in children under five in Papua New Guinea. 

Child malnutrition in Papua New Guinea (PNG) remains a serious public health concern. Among its many forms, underweight is a pressing concern. While medical issues such as diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections, and parasitic infections (WHO, 2024) contribute to malnutrition in children, there are also non-medical factors that contribute to malnutrition or underweight of children under the age of five.

Therefore, this blog will briefly discuss the underlying drivers of non-medical factors that influence malnutrition in children under the age of five. We will specifically explore Poverty as an ultimate driver of child malnutrition along with cultural beliefs in PNG.

Poverty Rates and Household Nutrition Impacts

Poverty is the root non-medical cause of malnutrition in PNG (UNICEF, n.d). Despite PNG being categorized as a middle-income nation, it is characterized by a higher degree of income inequality (UNICEF, 2022). This means that even though there may be economic growth, the population still receives unequal benefits. It was reported in 2022 by UNICEF that 40% of Papua New Guineans live below the extreme poverty line, and 41% of children live in poverty. This situation indicates that the population in the rural areas lack access to basic services and opportunities. Citizens living in poverty are faced with struggles of accessing health services, obtaining proper education, and adults, especially, cannot secure a stable income-earning opportunity (Siddidui, et.al, 2020 ). This results in having unimproved nutritional outcomes in households in which highly affects children under the age of five.

Poverty generally inflicts financial limitations that directly hinder a household’s capability to achieve food security and access nutritious food (Buton L & Fadmi F, 2023). Low-income households face subsequent challenges of not being able to meet basic needs and having access to nutritious food (Kumbeli, L. 2024). This results in food insecurity. Individuals are not able to provide their kids with a variety of food that contain important nutrients, including proteins and essential fats vital for healthy child development (Garfinkel et al., 2014). This situation can be further worsened by economic strains like inflation. In 2022, Papua New Guinea reached the highest inflation rate of 6.6% in the region (Unicef, 2022), while a case study by (GHI, 2024) showed deteriorating nutrition and higher rates of malnutrition in children under 5 years of age between the early 2020 and 2022 in PNG. Even though individuals receive sufficient income, the value of buying nutritious food is reduced by the increase in prices of goods.

Impact of Cultural Beliefs on Nutritional Food Intake

Papua New Guinea is known for its diverse culture and traditions (Scroope, 2016). Therefore, the vast mosaic signifies that there is no unified framework of health beliefs or practices; instead, there exists a complex tapestry of traditional norms and customs that significantly shape health-seeking behaviors and dietary habits throughout the country (Macfarlane, 2009). Furthermore, in PNG, culturally deep-rooted food taboos prohibit mothers and babies from receiving optimal nutrition care (Kuzma et al., 2013). Women, especially pregnant mothers are prohibited from taking certain type of food. Although, they may have the intent of protecting the pregnant mother’s health, they often restrict access to vital nutrients, especially foods that are rich in protein. For example, most ethnic groups have a common belief that women who are pregnant should not have excessive protein intake as it might cause deformities in the baby or the mother may experience difficulties at birth (Kuzma et al., 2013). The direct nutritional impediment is magnified by a general lack of understanding of nutrition by mothers. This gap in knowledge increases the chances of nutritional deficiency, especially for mothers and children, elevating the risk of underweight in children (Dembedza et al., 2025). Undertaking this issue needs more awareness and promotion of the importance of nutrition for pregnant mothers and their babies.

Poster showing steps on how to feed a baby from birth to 2 years. Pictured captured at Madang town clinic.

Baby sleeping in a baby bilum; not in a conducive environment. Pictured captured at Gamoga Village, Central Province. 

 

 

 

References 

Buton L & Fadmi F. (2023). Is it truly household income affect underweight children under five years old? Evidence from Indonesia: Underweight in children. Retrieved from ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372272489_Is_It_Truly_Household_Income_Affect_Underweightin_Children_Under_Five_Years_Old_Evidence_From_Indonesia_Underweightin_Children

Dembedza VP, et al. (2025). The relationship between cultural food taboos and maternal and child nutrition: A systematic literature review. https://najfnr.com/home/article/download/571/364

Garfinkel, et al. (2014). Understanding the link between Poverty and food insecurity among children: Does the definition of poverty matter? Retrieved from ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263288318_Understanding_the_Link_between_Poverty_and_Food_Insecurity_among_Children_Does_the_Definition_of_Poverty_Matter

Global Hunger Index. (2024). Global Hunger Index. Retrieved from www.globalhungerindex.org:https://www.globalhungerindex.org/papua-new-guinea.html

Kumbeli, L. (2024). Child Malnutrition in Papua New Guinea: Long-Term Health Effects. Retrieved from PNG Medical Blog: https://pngmedicalblog.com/2024/07/03/child-malnutrition-in-papua-new-guinea-long-term-health-effects/

Kuzma, J et al. (2013). Food taboos and traditional customs among pregnant women in Papua New Guinea: missed opportunity for education in antenatal clinics. Retrieved from Divine Word University: https://www.dwu.ac.pg/en/images/All_Attachements/Research%20Journals/vol_19/2013-V19-1_Kuzma_et_al._Food_taboos_pregnant_women.pdf

Macfarlane, J. (2009). Common themes in the literature on the traditional medicine in Papua New Guinea. Retrieved from PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21125990/

Peter J McGlynn et al. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. (2018). Critical examination of evidence for the nutritional status of children in Papua New Guinea - a systematic review. Retrieved from PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29222877/

Scroope, C. (2016). Papua New Guinean Culture. Retrieved from Cultural Atlas: https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/papua-new-guinean-culture/papua-new-guinean-culture-core-concepts#papua-new-guinean-culture-core-concepts

Siddidui F et al. (2020). The intertwined relationship between malnutrition and poverty. Retrieved from Frontiers: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00453/full

UNICEF. (n.d). Children in Papua New Guinea. https://www.unicef.org/png/children-papua-new-guinea

UNICEF. (2022). Country office annual report 2022. https://www.unicef.org/media/136321/file/Papua-New-Guinea-2022-COAR.pdf


 

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