Publication: Prevalence and Associated Factors of Malnutrition in Under Five Children in Eastern Nepal: A Hospital Based Study
Date
2023
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nepal Paediatric Society (JNPS)
Abstract
Abstract:
Introduction: Malnutrition among children remains one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in the developing countries like Nepal. Multiple interrelated determinants are involved in causing malnutrition that needs to be catered. This study aims to assess the prevalence and associated factors of malnutrition among under-five children in eastern Nepal.
Methods: This is a hospital-based correctional study. The enrolment occurred between Jan 2018 and Dec 2019 among children who visited nutrition clinic in our hospital. The data analyses were performed using Logistic regression and 95% confidence interval along with p-value. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: A total of 310 children were analyzed for malnutrition. Among them, the prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was 34.10, 32.45, 17.54 % respectively. Among them, majority of the mother belonged to young age group between 18- 25 years, 216 (69.68%) were females and 120 (38.71%) and Majority of malnutrition fell in the age group of 12 – 23 months. Mother’s age, mother’s education, family size, economic status, child’s age and sex, exclusive breast, ethnicity, mother’s occupation and total family size were found to be significantly associated with malnutrition.
Conclusions: This study highlights serious concern of malnutrition among under five years old children in eastern part of Nepal. Multiple hierarchically interrelated determinants associated with child, mother and the social environmental factors were found significant in malnutrition among the children.
Description
Manju Shrestha
Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal
Basant Rai
Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics and dolescent Medicine, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal
Jyoti Agrawal
Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics and dolescent Medicine, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal
Shipra Chaudhary
Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics and dolescent Medicine, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal
Kala Shrestha
College of Medicine, Nepalese Army Institute of Health Sciences, Bhadnarkhal, Sanobharyang, Kathmandu, Nepal
Rupa Raj Bhandari Singh
Professor, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal
Keywords
Malnutrition, Low Birth weight, Nutrition