Publication: Risk Factors of Malnutrition among under Five Children Admitted in Kanti Children’s Hospital in Nepal
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kathmandu University
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background
World Health Organization (WHO) stated that malnutrition is a major global health
and social problem from which many people are suffering, particularly children. Poor
feeding and care practices, insufficient nutrient intake, high rate of infection and
teenage pregnancy are the immediate causes of chronic malnutrition.
Objective
To identify the risk factors for malnutrition among under five children.
Method
A case control study was carried out among the mothers having under-5 years’
children who were admitted in the Kanti Children’s Hospital of Nepal from 1st August
2019 to 7th September 2020. Non-probability purposive sampling technique was
used to select 50 children with malnutrition and 100 children without malnutrition
matched on age, sex and setting. A structured interview was used to collect data
from mothers of both cases and controls. Descriptive and inferential statistics were
used to analyze the data.
Result
Present study reveals that 58% girl got marriage before 20 years. After confounders
adjusted, mother’s age ≥ 20 years at marriage (OR: 2.74, 95% CI: 0.98-7.63. p=0.05),
and mother’s age ≥ 20 years at child birth (OR: 7.74, 95% CI: 2.37-25.27. p=0.001),
were significantly associated with having malnutrition among under five children.
Similarly, accessibility of health facility (OR: 3.31, 95% CI: 1-10.94. p=0.05), fathers
who completed master in education (OR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01-0.88. p=0.04), children
who lived in joint family (OR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.07-0.86. p=0.03), child < 2.5 kg at birth
(OR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.05-0.62. p=0.01), and second and third or above in order (OR:
0.09, 95% CI: 0.01-1.04. p=0.05) had significantly less chance of having malnutrition.
Children’s whose birth interval was 2-3 years were significantly (OR: 9.74, 95% CI:
1.16-82.23. p=0.04) associated with the occurrence of malnutrition. Children who
had suffered from multiple co-morbidities in last one year were (OR: 4.55, 95% CI:
0.48-43.03. p=0.18) more chance of having malnutrition.
Likewise, the mothers who feed colostrum to their child had (OR: 2.28, 95% CI: 0.52-
9.26. p=0.29) almost two-fold less chance of having malnutrition. Mothers who had
done exclusive breast feeding ≥ 4 months had (OR: 40.55, 95% CI: 3.35-1.490.92.
p=0.008) significantly associated with having malnutrition.
Conclusion
Low education status of father, living in single family, exclusive breast feeding ≥ 4
months, lack of balance diet were significant risk factors of malnutrition. Based on
finding, reliable longitudinal studies, interventions and program to educate parent
for prevention of malnutrition are necessary in future.
KEY WORDS
Malnutrition, Mothers, Risk factors, Under five children
Description
Karki S,1 Koirala S,2 Shrestha S1
1Department of Nursing
Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu University Hospital
Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences
Dhulikhel, Kavre, Nepal
2Department of Nursing
Tribhuvan University Institute of Medicine
Maharajgunj Nursing Campus
Maharajgunj, Kathmandu
Keywords
Malnutrition, Mothers, Risk factors, Under five children