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Regional disparity in prevalence of malnutrition in Saudi children

Mohammad I El-Mouzan1, Abdullah S Al-Herbish, Abdullah A Al-Salloum

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, King Saud University, PO Box 2925, Riyadh 11461, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. drmouzan@gmail.com

Saudi Medical Journal
|May 14, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Malnutrition prevalence varies significantly among Saudi children. The Southwestern region shows a higher prevalence of underweight, wasting, and stunting compared to other areas, requiring focused health interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Nutritional Epidemiology

Background:

  • Childhood malnutrition remains a significant public health concern globally.
  • Regional disparities in health outcomes are often observed within countries.
  • Understanding these disparities is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess and compare the prevalence of malnutrition indicators among children under five years of age across different regions of Saudi Arabia.
  • To identify specific regions with a higher burden of malnutrition for further investigation and intervention.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study utilizing data from 2004-2005 on healthy Saudi children under five.
  • Prevalence of underweight, wasting, and stunting calculated using WHO/NCHS growth references and Lambda, Mu, Sigma (LMS) methodology.
  • Statistical analysis (Chi-square test) employed to determine significant regional differences (p<0.05).

Main Results:

  • The Southwestern region exhibited significantly higher prevalence rates for underweight (19.7%), wasting (16.7%), and stunting (13.2%) compared to Central and Northern regions.
  • Prevalence of underweight, wasting, and stunting in Central regions were 4%, 6.5%, and 6.4% respectively.
  • Prevalence of underweight, wasting, and stunting in Northern regions were 5.5%, 6.5%, and 6.4% respectively.

Conclusions:

  • The Southwestern region of Saudi Arabia demonstrates a disproportionately high prevalence of key malnutrition indicators.
  • These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted research in the Southwestern region to identify underlying causes of malnutrition.
  • Prioritization of health promotion programs and further epidemiological studies in the Southwestern region is recommended.
Abstract

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