Prevalence and associated risk factors of chronic malnutrition amongst children under five in Eswatini

Abstract

Background: About 20 million children under fi-ve in Southern Africa have chronic malnutrition. This study determines the prevalence of chronic malnutrition and associated risk factors amongst children under five.Aim: To determine the proportion of children with chronic malnutrition and investigate associated risk factors of chronic malnutrition.Setting: The study was conducted in communities in the four regions of Eswatini.Methods: This study is a retrospective cross-sectional study that used data from a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) conducted in 2014. The study involved 3261 children who are under 5 years of age. Data on nutritional status and household characteristics were used. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with chronic malnutrition in the univariable and multivariable models, respectively.Results: Results showed that 18.1% (confidence interval [CI]: 18.5–21.5) of children under five have chronic malnutrition. The highest prevalence was 20.8% (CI: 17.4–24.7) in the Shiselweni region, followed by the Manzini region with 17.6% (CI: 14.5–21.1) and the Lubombo region with 17.2% (CI: 13.9–21.2). The lowest prevalence of chronic malnutrition at 16.7% (CI: 13.6–20.3) was the Hhohho region. The results indicated that low birth weight (odds ratio [OR] = 4.63, CI: 1.12–19.2), mothers’ lack of education (OR = 1.50, CI: 1.04–2.17) and children aged 12–24 months (OR = 1.28, CI: 0.88–1.87) were significantly associated with chronic malnutrition.Conclusion: The findings showed that malnutrition is an important public health problem in children under five and needs a multisectoral response. Low birth weight, mothers’ education and the child’s age are risk factors associated with chronic malnutrition.Contribution: The results inform evidence-based programming for the prevention of chronic malnutrition in children thus assist the country to meet sustainable development goals.

The status of research on malnutrition among children under 5 years in Southern Africa: a systematic review

“…8 The literature confirmed that malnutrition is a critical public health problem in children under five years and requires concerted efforts and multisectoral response. 9 The findings highlight that various factors such as demographic status, social and economic status and governments' priorities in addressing food insecurity are key attributes to the status of malnutrition in Southern Africa.…”

“…A qualitative systematic review brings together research on a topic, systematically searching for research evidence from primary qualitative studies and drawing the findings together. 9 The PICO (Population, intervention, comparison, outcome, settings) framework to develop the search strategy was used to search for literature related to Shipanga V et al Int J Community Med Public Health. 2024 Jan;11(1):363-370 the topic with a research question "What is the state of knowledge on malnutrition for children under 5 years?…”

Caregivers’ experiences and practices for malnourished children undergoing tuberculosis treatment in Eswatini

“…https://www.hsag.co.za Open Access Dlamini and Tlou (2022) conducted a study on prevalence and associated risk factors of chronic malnutrition among children under 5 years in Eswatini. The findings revealed that a large number of children under the age of 5 years still fail to achieve their growth potential, as reflected by the prevalence of malnutrition.…”