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Maternal and socioeconomic factors and the risk of severe malnutrition in a child: a case-control study

M A Islam1, M M Rahman, D Mahalanabis

  • 1Clinical Sciences Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|June 1, 1994
PubMed

Insights

Maternal illiteracy, lack of breastfeeding, and maternal malnutrition significantly increase a child's risk of severe malnutrition. These factors, along with poor socioeconomic conditions, highlight vulnerable families needing support.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Nutrition Science

Background:

  • Severe malnutrition in young children remains a significant global health challenge.
  • Understanding the interplay of maternal and socioeconomic factors is crucial for effective prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal characteristics and socioeconomic indicators with severe malnutrition in children under 36 months.
  • To identify key risk factors contributing to the development of severe malnutrition in urban settings.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study was conducted involving 125 severely malnourished children (cases) and 125 healthy children (controls).
  • Data on maternal history, socioeconomic status, and maternal anthropometrics were collected through interviews and examinations.
  • Weight-for-age Z-scores, based on United States National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) median values, were used for classification.

Main Results:

  • Maternal illiteracy, lack of breastfeeding, maternal malnutrition (low BMI, weight, or height), poor family income, and inadequate sanitation were significantly associated with severe child malnutrition.
  • Multivariate analysis revealed that maternal illiteracy and lack of breastfeeding increased the risk of severe malnutrition by approximately fourfold.
  • Maternal employment outside the home showed a surprising fivefold increased risk, potentially reflecting complex urban poverty issues. Malnourished mothers were 2.5 times more likely to have malnourished children.

Conclusions:

  • The study confirms the established links between poor maternal education, lack of breastfeeding, and severe childhood malnutrition.
  • Maternal malnutrition serves as a potential indicator for identifying families at high risk.
  • While plausible, a direct causal relationship between maternal malnutrition and severe child malnutrition requires further investigation.
Abstract

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