Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography

Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography

Published on: December 1, 2023

Factors associated with malnutrition in children < 5 years in western Kenya: a hospital-based unmatched case control

Edwin Gudu^1,2, Mark Obonyo², Victor Omballa³

¹Ministry of Health, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Eldoret, Kenya.

|August 4, 2020

Insights

Mothers not attending antenatal care, pre-lacteal feeding, delayed developmental milestones, low birth weight, and paternal lack of education are key factors associated with childhood malnutrition in Kenya. Enhancing prenatal care and feeding practices is crucial.

Area of Science:

Pediatric Nutrition
Global Health
Public Health Research

Background:

Childhood under-nutrition causes over 3 million deaths annually in children under 5 globally.
Kenya records approximately 35,000 annual deaths due to under-nutrition in this age group.
Identifying malnutrition risk factors in western Kenya is critical for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify factors associated with malnutrition in children under 5 years old in western Kenya.
To provide data for developing effective public health strategies to combat pediatric malnutrition.

Main Methods:

A hospital-based unmatched case-control study was conducted from May to June 2017.
Cases were children aged 6-59 months with anthropometric z-scores indicating malnutrition.
Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to identify associated factors.

Main Results:

84% of cases (79/94) were under-nourished.
Factors associated with under-nutrition included: not attending antenatal care (OR=7.9), pre-lacteal feeding (OR=1.8).
Independent predictors of under-nutrition were: delayed developmental milestones (AOR=13.9), low birth weight (AOR=3.3), and paternal lack of formal education (AOR=4.9).

Conclusions:

Maternal antenatal care attendance is crucial for preventing malnutrition.
Child feeding practices, including avoiding pre-lacteal feeds, are significant.
Developmental milestones, birth weight, and paternal education are independent risk factors for pediatric malnutrition.

Read full analysis

Abstract

Background:

Globally, under-nutrition accounts for > 3 million deaths annually among children < 5 years, with Kenya having ~ 35,000 deaths. This study aimed to identify factors associated with malnutrition in children aged < 5 years in western Kenya.

Methods:

We conducted a hospital-based unmatched case-control study between May and June 2017. Cases were defined as children aged 6-59 months with either z-score for weight-for-height ≤ -2SD or ≥ +2SD; weight-for-age ≤ -2SD or ≥ +2SD; or height-for-age ≤ -2SD. Controls were children aged 6-59 months with age-appropriate anthropometric measurements. Cases were consecutively recruited while systematic random sampling was used to select controls. Data from interviews and clinical records were collected and entered into Epi-Info, which was used to run unconditional logistic regression analyses.

Results:

A total of 94 cases and 281 controls were recruited. Of the cases, 84% (79/94) were under-nourished. Mother not having attended ante-natal clinic (OR = 7.9; 95% CI: 1.5-41.2), deworming (OR = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.4-1.2), and pre-lacteal feeding (OR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.1-3.0) were associated with under-nutrition. Delayed developmental milestones (AOR = 13.9; 95% CI: 2.8-68.6); low birth weight (AOR = 3.3; 95% CI: 1.4-7.6), and paternal lack of formal education (AOR = 4.9; 95% CI: 1.3-18.9) were independently associated with under-nutrition.

Conclusion:

Proper pre-natal care, child feeding practices and deworming programs should be enhanced to reduce pediatric malnutrition.

More Related Videos

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts

Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts

Published on: January 29, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Factors Affecting Illness

Factors Affecting Illness

When a person's physical, emotional, intellectual, social development or spiritual functioning is compromised, this deviation from a healthy normal state is called illness. Illness creates stress that in turn harms individuals. Irritation, anger, denial, hopelessness, and fear are behavioral and emotional changes an individual experiences in the phases of illness. A variety of factors influence a person's health and well-being.
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...

Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection

Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection

The hosts' susceptibility to infection depends on several factors. The integrity of the skin and mucous membranes helps protect the body against microbial attacks. When the skin is altered, the chance of infection, limb loss, and even death increases.
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...

Bias in Epidemiological Studies

Bias in Epidemiological Studies

Biases can arise at various stages of research, from study design and data collection to analysis and interpretation. Recognizing and addressing these biases is essential to ensure the validity and reliability of epidemiological findings.Broadly speaking, biases in epidemiology fall into three main categories: selection bias, information bias, and confounding. A more detailed description of possible biases is:

Confounding in Epidemiological Studies

Confounding in Epidemiological Studies

Confounding in statistical epidemiology represents a pivotal challenge, referring to the distortion in the perceived relationship between an exposure and an outcome due to the presence of a third variable, known as a confounder. This variable is associated with both the exposure and the outcome but is not a direct link in their causal chain. Its presence can lead to erroneous interpretations of the exposure's effect, either exaggerating or underestimating the true association. This...

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain, an unrelenting pursuit of thinness, and a distorted body image. It often leads to dangerously low body weight relative to an individual's age and height. This disorder is marked by significant physical and psychological consequences, making it one of the most life-threatening psychiatric illnesses.
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...

Lifestyle Factors and Health

Lifestyle Factors and Health

Lifestyle factors play a critical role in maintaining overall health and preventing chronic diseases. Key elements, such as regular physical activity, a nutritious diet, and abstinence from smoking, can significantly enhance physical, mental, and emotional well-being while reducing the risk of several life-threatening conditions.
Benefits of Physical Activity
Physical activity, whether through structured exercise or casual activities like walking, biking, or dancing, is a cornerstone of a...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Switch to injectable cabotegravir-rilpivirine given every 8 weeks in adolescents living with HIV with virological suppression in sub-Saharan Africa (LATA): a randomised, open-label, multicentre, 96-week non-inferiority trial.

Lancet (London, England)·2026

Determination of diagnostic cycle threshold cutoffs for qPCR-based prevalence surveys of soil-transmitted helminth infections.

Microbiology spectrum·2026

Factors associated with the uptake of intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy in Nambale Sub-County Hospital, Kenya.

Maternal health, neonatology and perinatology·2026

Absence of false negative RDT results due to pfhrp2 deletion among symptomatic malaria infections in Kenya: findings from the 2022 Kenya national longitudinal surveillance of pfhrp2/3 deletions.

Malaria journal·2026

Antimicrobial usage in broiler poultry farms in Zambia.

Frontiers in veterinary science·2026

Efficacy and safety of short-cycle, dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy in adolescents living with HIV (BREATHER Plus): a multicentre, open-label, randomised, parallel, two-arm, non-inferiority trial.

The lancet. HIV·2026

See all related articles