Identification of the determinants of severe acute malnutrition among children: A hospital based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction:Survivors of acute malnourished children are at increased risk of developing stunting and various diseases, disorders, poor educational performance, and low productive life so the aim of this study was to Identification of the determinants of severe acute malnutrition among children.Materials and Methods:Study design was a cross sectional and involving 64 patients with severe acute malnutrition. Face to face interview was conducted with mother of eligible children using paper based semi- structured questionnaire. Any inconsistencies in questionnaire were addressed during the fieldwork. Anthropometric measurements (weight and recumbent length/ height) of the children were taken and compared with height for weight indicators Z-score.Results:Of the 64 cases and 116 controls, 40% of children were between the age group of 12–23 months in both cases and controls, and 28.2% of cases and 23.4% of controls were in the age group of 24–35 months. The mean age was 24 months in both cases and controls (cases: 25.31 ± 13.3, control: 25.29 ± 13.4). There was no difference in the mother’s age at the time of the birth of the index child among both the cases and controls (P = 0.106). Conclusion:Collaborative efforts should be organized to improve promotion of better child caring practices through appropriate age specific child and maternal feeding practices, prevention and early treatment of acute childhood illnesses and promotion of family planning.