ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE, IN SHENDI LOCALITY, RIVER NILE STATE, SUDAN, 2017
Omran M. Ahmed*, Abd Elbasit E. Mohammed and Haghamad Allzain
ABSTRACT
Background: Children who aren’t optimally breastfed, undernourished, or suffering from micronutrient deficiencies have substantially lower chances of survival than children who are well nourished. They are much more likely to suffer from serious infections and to die from common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea and measles. Objectives: This study intended to examine the nutritional status of children under-five (5) years of age in Shendi locality. Materials and methods: This was descriptive cross-sectional community-based study, carried out in Shendi Locality in 2017. Three hundred and eighty-four (384) children were selected randomly. A questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were used for data collection. Results: The study revealed that the prevalence of PEM was (10.2%). The moderate form was (7.6%) and severe form was (2.6%). The highest percentage of PEM (53.8%) among females. All mothers were breastfeeding. (21.6%) were uneducated and (83.9%) were not working (housewives). Households with a monthly income of about 500 Sudanese pounds were (7%). Families with a size of (6) people were (43%). PEM prevalence had a significant association with father’s occupation as well as parent’s knowledge about PEM with P. value = (0.05) (0.04) respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of PEM was high among children under-five (5) years, especially among females, and was associated with a number of factors such as: monthly income, parents’ level of educational, follow-up of children growth and provision of additional meals.
Keywords: Protein Energy Malnutrition, Anthropometric, under 5 years.
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