Related Experiment Videos
[Malnutrition as a multiple cause of death]
P Bustamante-Montes1, A R Villa-Romero, M A Lezana-Fernández
1Escuela de Salud Pública de México, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca.
Salud Publica De Mexico
|September 1, 1991
Summary
Malnutrition significantly contributed to child deaths in 1985 Mexico City. Analyzing multiple causes of death, not just underlying ones, revealed malnutrition
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Mortality
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Public Health Surveillance
Context:
- Child mortality in Mexico City during April-May 1985.
- Focus on factors contributing to death in children under five years old.
Purpose:
- To describe the role of malnutrition as a contributing factor at the time of death.
- To analyze multiple causes of death in children under five.
Summary:
- A proportional mortality analysis considered all listed causes of death, not solely underlying causes.
- Malnutrition was identified as a cause in significantly more deaths when multiple causes were considered (OR = 7.9, 95% CI 5.0-12.7).
- The study highlights the importance of examining all recorded causes of death.
Impact:
- Emphasizes the underestimation of malnutrition's impact when only underlying causes are considered.
- Recommends comprehensive death certificate analysis for accurate public health assessments.
- Informs targeted interventions for child malnutrition and mortality reduction.