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  • Title: Critically High Burden of Acute Malnutrition and Its Associated Factors Among Children Under 5 Years in the Rural Settings of Southern Ethiopia.
    Author: Tesfaye GA, Wana EW, Workie MG.
    Journal: Food Nutr Bull; 2024 Mar; 45(1):38-46. PubMed ID: 38439658.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Globally, acute malnutrition threatens the lives of several million children under 5 years of age. Malnutrition affects the social, economic, and medical aspects of all countries. In Ethiopia, acute malnutrition is not decreasing at the intended rate for unclear reasons. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the burden of acute malnutrition and its associated factors among children under 5 years of age in a rural setting of southern Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2022. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 421 children. Mothers/caretakers were interviewed using interviewer-administered questionnaire, while their children's height/length and weight were measured. Logistic regression analyses were used and presented as the crude odds ratio (COR) and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: The burden of acute malnutrition among children under 5 years of age in the study area was 22.6% (95% CI = 18.5-26.8). Fathers with primary education (AOR = 4.48; 95% CI = 1.93-10.39), households with improper solid waste disposal (AOR = 2.54; 95% CI = 1.11-5.82), not usually sleeping under insecticide-treated bed net (ITN) (AOR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.01-3.19), unacceptable children dietary diversity score (DDS) (AOR = 2.56; 95% CI = 1.28-5.14), and unacceptable household DDS (AOR = 2.26; 95% CI = 1.02-5.00) were factors associated with acute malnutrition. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of acute malnutrition among children was critically high. Upgrading paternal educational status, encouraging safe solid waste disposal, ensuring consistent use of ITN, and improving both child and household DDS should be stressed. Plain language titleVery High Level of Acute Malnutrition and Related Factors Among Children Under 5 Years in the Rural Parts of Southern EthiopiaPlain language summaryWhy was the study done?Acute malnutrition is a cause of death for several million children under 5 years of age in the world. It affects the social, economic, and medical features of all countries. In Ethiopia, acute malnutrition is not decreasing at the intended rate for unclear reasons. Numerous studies in the country reported varying level on acute malnutrition in spite of similarities in the study area and time. Therefore, this study aimed to find out the level of acute malnutrition and related factors among children under 5 years of age in rural parts of southern Ethiopia.What did the researchers do?The research team selected 421 representative children and collected information by asking their mothers/caretakers some relevant questions, and by weighing and measuring their height. Then, the collected information was computed by a computer software.What did the researchers find?One out of 5 children in the rural parts of southern Ethiopia had acute malnutrition. Educational status of fathers, households with inappropriate solid waste, not usually sleeping under mosquito bed net, low level of children and household food variety were factors related to acute malnutrition.What do the findings mean?The level of acute malnutrition among children in the study area was very high. Educating fathers, encouraging safe solid waste disposal, ensuring consistent use of mosquito bed net, and improving both the level of children and household food variety should be underlined.
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