MALNUTRITION

DETERMINANTS IN CHILDREN BETWEEN SIX MONTHS TO FIVE YEARS OF AGE IN BAHAWALPUR.

Abstract

Objective: To find-out the determinants of malnutrition in children between six
months to five years age in Bahawalpur. Study Design: This was an observational descriptive cross – sectional study.
Setting: At Paediatric Medicine out – patient department in Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur.. Period: From Feb.
2005 to March 2007.Subjects: Eleven hundred children with malnutrition having ages six months to five years. Main
outcome measures. Determinants of malnutrition in children under – 5 in Bahawalpur. Results: This study consists
of 1100 sick children between the ages six months to five years brought by their parents (mother) to the Pediatric
Medicine out-patient department in Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur. Only the children with malnutrition
(undernutrition) were included in the study population. Mothers of these children were interviewed and clinical
examination of each child was carried-out to find-out the causes of malnutrition in them. According to Gome’s
classification, 39.45% of them had first degree malnutrition, 37.10%, second degree and 23.45%, third degree
malnutrition. Conclusion: The major causes of malnutrition found in our study population included: Illiteracy; food –
fads; poverty; lack of breast-feeding; improper weaning; diarrhea and respiratory diseases. All these factors were
statistically significant.