The association between malaria and malnutrition among under-five children in Shashogo District, Southern Ethiopia: a
Terefe Gone1, Fiseha Lemango2, Endale Eliso3
1Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Hosanna College of Health Sciences, P.O. BOX 159, Hosanna, Ethiopia. terefegone@gmail.com.
Insights
Malaria exposure significantly increases malnutrition risk in Ethiopian children under five. Low family income also heightens this risk, underscoring the need for integrated health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Conflicting evidence exists on malaria's impact on malnutrition.
- Under-five children in malaria-endemic regions are particularly vulnerable.
- This study investigates the malaria-malnutrition link in high-transmission areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the relationship between malaria exposure and malnutrition in under-five children.
- To identify risk factors for malnutrition in a high malaria transmission setting.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study of malnourished and nourished children aged 6-59 months in Shashogo District, Ethiopia.
- Data collection included socioeconomic and anthropometric measurements via questionnaire.
- Statistical analysis using descriptive and inferential methods.
Main Results:
- Previous Plasmodium infection predicted malnutrition (OR=1.87, P=0.02).
- Children from households earning <$15/month were 4.5 times more likely to be malnourished (OR=0.422, P=0.001).
Conclusions:
- Plasmodium exposure significantly impacts child nutritional status.
- Socio-demographic factors like family income are crucial in malnutrition.
- Integrated malaria prevention and malnutrition control are vital in endemic areas.
Background:
Recent studies have presented conflicting findings about whether malaria is associated with an increased or decreased risk of malnutrition. Therefore, assessing the relationship between these two disastrous diseases in the most vulnerable groups, such as in children aged below 5 years (under-five children), may lead to the discovery of new low-cost and effective aides to current methods of malnutrition prevention in malaria-endemic areas. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the relationship between malaria and malnutrition among under five children in an area with a high degree of malaria transmission.
Methods:
The study involved comparing malnourished children aged 6-59 months and nourished children of the same age for their past exposure to malaria, in Shashogo District, Southern Ethiopia. A validated structured questionnaire was used to collect home to home socioeconomic data and anthropometric instruments for clinical data. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics by means of EpiData entry software and STATA data analysis software.
Results:
A total of 356 (89 malnourished and 267 nourished) under-five children participated in the study. Previous exposure to Plasmodium infection was found to be a predictor for the manifestation of malnutrition in under-five children (P = 0.02 [OR = 1.87, CI = 1.115-3.138]). Children from a household with a monthly income of less than USD 15 were 4.5 more likely to be malnourished as compared to the other children (P = 0.001 [OR = 0.422, CI = 0.181-0.978]).
Conclusion:
This study found that exposure to Plasmodium has a significant impact on the nutritional status of children. In addition, socio-demographic factors, such as family income, may play a role in determining whether children are malnourished or not and may lead to increased morbidity due to malnourishment in children living in malaria-endemic areas. Therefore, malnutrition control interventions should be consolidated with malaria prevention strategies particularly in high malaria transmission areas.
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