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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. |
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