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Determinants of underweight among children aged 0-23 months in Tanzania

Cypriana Cyprian Moshi1, Penina Joseph Sebastian1, Devotha Gabriel Mushumbusi1

  • 1Department of Food Science and Nutrition Tanzania Food and Nutrition Center Dar es Salaam Tanzania.

Food Science & Nutrition
|April 18, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Underweight in Tanzanian children is influenced by gender, age, birth weight, and maternal factors. Interventions like growth monitoring and nutrition education are crucial for healthy child development.

Area of Science:

  • Child Health and Nutrition
  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Underweight is a critical indicator of child growth, with Tanzania facing high rates in East Africa.
  • 1.27 million Tanzanian children under five are affected by underweight.
  • This study addresses factors influencing underweight in children aged 0-23 months in Tanzania.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify key factors contributing to underweight in Tanzanian children aged 0-23 months.
  • To analyze the relationship between child underweight and various demographic, maternal, and household characteristics.
  • To inform targeted interventions for child malnutrition in Tanzania.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary data analysis of the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) 2015-2016.
  • Sample included 4,327 children aged 0-23 months.
  • Descriptive and inferential statistics, including multivariate logistic regression (SPSS v25), were used with a significance level of p < 0.05.

Main Results:

  • Key risk factors for underweight included male gender, low birth weight, low maternal Body Mass Index (BMI), and lower maternal education levels.
  • Female children had a significantly lower risk of being underweight (AOR=0.62).
  • Low birth weight (AOR=2.92), low maternal BMI (AOR=2.48), and low maternal education (AOR=1.78) significantly increased underweight risk.

Conclusions:

  • Child gender, birth weight, maternal BMI, maternal education, and household toilet facilities are significant determinants of underweight.
  • Targeted nutrition interventions, including growth monitoring and education, are essential for improving child weight gain.
  • Addressing these factors can help reduce the prevalence of underweight children in Tanzania.

Keywords:
BMITanzaniadeterminantsunder fiveunderweight

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