Metrics details. Globally, malnutrition accounts for at least half of all childhood deaths. Managing malnutrition in the community settings involves identifying malnutrition using a universally validated screening tool and implementing appropriate interventions according to the degree of malnutrition. The aim of this study was to estimate prevalence and associated factors that result in malnutrition among children under-five years of age in Thatta and Sujawal districts in Sindh province, Pakistan.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May and August A total of children under-five years were enrolled in the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socioeconomic conditions, family size, maternal education, parity and child morbidity.
Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the risk factors for malnutrition. The prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight were Children in the poorest households were two times more likely to be wasted A similar relationship was observed between household wealth and underweight in children Household wealth was significantly associated with stunting, wasting and underweight. Diarrhea was associated with underweight. The findings of our study revealed that malnutrition was widespread among the children under-five years of age.
Peer Review reports. Globally in , an estimated million children under-five years were stunted, 95 million were underweight and 50 million were wasted [ 1 ]. Malnutrition accounts for at least half of all childhood deaths worldwide [ 2 , 3 ]. Despite the economic development, childhood malnutrition still remains a major public health problem in developing countries [ 2 , 4 , 5 ].
Contributing factors in childhood malnutrition are intra-uterine growth retardation, low birth weight, inadequate exclusive breast feeding, inappropriate complementary feeding, maternal education, low nutritional knowledge, insufficient energy and micronutrient intake, birth spacing, parity, socio-economic background, food availability, housing, poor sanitation, health services, vaccination and infectious diseases [ 5 β 15 ].
