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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Risk of child undernutrition in households with life-limiting illness: A cross-sectional study

Janni B Petersen1, Irene Naleba, Josephine Namugambe

  • 1Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus Denmark; and Emergency Department, Regional Hospital Horsens, Horsons. janni-bp@hotmail.com.

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
|April 2, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Children in households with a life-limiting illness are not at increased risk of undernutrition. Home-based palliative care may offer a protective effect on child nutritional status, contrary to initial concerns about undernutrition risk.

Area of Science:

  • Global Health
  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Palliative Care

Background:

  • Identifying children at risk of undernutrition remains a significant global health challenge.
  • Children in households with a member experiencing a life-limiting illness may be vulnerable to undernutrition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the risk of undernutrition in children residing in households with a member diagnosed with a life-limiting illness.
  • To explore the potential impact of home-based palliative care on child nutritional status.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in Uganda.
  • Data included anthropometric measurements of children under five, household dietary diversity, food security, and healthcare access.
  • Participants were recruited from households receiving home-based palliative care (high-risk group) and neighboring households (comparison group).

Main Results:

  • No statistically significant difference in undernutrition prevalence was observed between the groups.
  • A trend towards less undernutrition was noted in the high-risk group compared to the comparison group.
  • The high-risk group reported higher food insecurity, despite lower-than-expected acute malnutrition rates in both groups.

Conclusions:

  • The study did not find an increased risk of undernutrition in children from households with a life-limiting illness.
  • Higher-than-expected stunting in both groups suggests potential seasonal influences on undernutrition.
  • Home-based palliative care may confer a protective effect on child nutritional status, warranting further investigation into its key components.
Abstract

Keywords:
acute malnutritionhousehold dietary diversityhousehold food insecuritypalliative carestunting

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