Prevalence, Types and Risk Factors for Malnutrition in Displaced Sudanese Children

T Salah,Nuha Mamoun,Mustafa Mabyou,Susan Homedia,Ishag Adam,Hussan M Ahmed Muntasir

doi:10.3844/ajidsp.2005.84.86

Abstract

The nutritional status of 327 under-five children living in Mayoo displacement camp, Khartoum, Sudan, was assessed during May- August 2004. Risk factors for protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) were also studied. According to WHO criteria, a total of 186 (56.1%) children had malnutrition, of these 101(30.1%), 43 (13.1%) and 42 (12.8%) were mildly, moderately and severely malnourished respectively. According to Welcome classification, the commonest type of malnutrition was found to be underweight (38.2%), marasmus, kwashiorkor were detected in (6.4%) and (0.9%) respectively, there was no case of marasmic kwashiorkor in the studied population. Prevalence of vitamin “A” was 9.2% of which 0.9% had night blindness. Age, sex, lack of immunization, lack of breast -feeding, history of fever and history of diarrhoea were tested and were not found be risk factors for malnutrition in this group of children.

Highlights

WHO estimates that 175 million children in the developing world are malnourished as indicated by low weight for age and 230 million are stunted as indicated by height for age[1]
It is recognized that the vast majority of deaths among children in the developing world is associated with malnutrition[1, 2]
According to WHO criteria the prevalence of malnutrition was 56.1, 30.9, 13.1 and 12.8% were mildly, moderately and severely malnourished, respectively

Summary

Introduction

WHO estimates that 175 million children in the developing world are malnourished as indicated by low weight for age and 230 million are stunted as indicated by height for age[1]. It is recognized that the vast majority of deaths among children in the developing world is associated with malnutrition[1, 2]. Childhood is a time of active growth in terms of physical size, mental, emotional, sexual maturation and psychological development. When the intake of energy is not optimum, this can lead to malnutrition in the long run[3]. Malnutrition is associated with poor developmental achievement, poor school performance and malnourished children face long -term sequels such as impairment of mental and intellectual capacity[4,5]

Objectives

Methods

Results