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Nutritional status and severity of diarrhoea among pre-school children in rural Nigeria

A Tomkins

    Lancet (London, England)
    |April 18, 1981
    PubMed

    Insights

    Pre-existing malnutrition, particularly wasting, significantly increases diarrhea episodes and duration in Nigerian children. Malnourished children suffer longer and more frequent bouts of diarrhea, impacting their health.

    Area of Science:

    • Pediatrics
    • Public Health
    • Nutrition Science

    Background:

    • Diarrheal diseases are a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality globally.
    • Malnutrition is a significant risk factor for infectious diseases, including diarrhea.
    • Understanding the interplay between malnutrition and diarrhea severity is crucial for effective public health interventions.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the influence of pre-existing malnutrition on the severity of diarrhea in young children.
    • To assess the impact of different types of malnutrition (underweight, stunting, wasting) on diarrhea attack rates and duration.

    Main Methods:

    • Prospective study involving children aged 6-32 months in northern Nigeria.
    • Assessment of diarrhea attack rates and duration over a 3-month rainy season.
    • Categorization of children based on anthropometric measurements: underweight, stunted, and wasted.

    Main Results:

    • Children experienced an average of 1.4 diarrhea attacks and spent 10.5% of the time with diarrhea.
    • Wasted children (less than 80% weight/height) had 47% more diarrhea episodes.
    • Diarrhea duration was significantly longer in underweight (33%), stunted (37%), and wasted (79%) children.

    Conclusions:

    • Pre-existing malnutrition, especially wasting, exacerbates diarrhea severity in young children.
    • Malnutrition significantly prolongs the duration of diarrheal episodes.
    • Interventions targeting malnutrition are essential to reduce the burden of diarrhea in vulnerable populations.

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