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Asian-Oceanian Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health Volume Three December 2004 Number Two
PREVALENCE OF MALNUTRITION IN CHILDREN UNDER 3 YEARS OF AGE AT
QUEEN SIRIKIT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH
To study the prevalence of malnutrition in
children under 3 years of age at QSNICH.
Cross-sectional study was done in May 1999. Three
groups of children under 3 years visiting QSNICH were included in
the study: I, Healthy children from well baby clinic who had come
for checkup or immunization, II, Children visiting the OPD and III,
Patients admitted in hospital. Data collection included sex, age,
weight and length orheight of children. Nutritional status was
analyzed using the NCHS growth reference.
Total of 2,894 children were included in the study;
1,385 healthy children, 1,215 out-patients and 294 in-patients.
Forty-nine percent were girls and 51% were boys. Mean age was 13.9 +
9.2 months. Mean age of in-patients was lower than the other groups.
Nutritional status was as follows: underweight 30.7%, stunting
18.5%, wasting 19.3%, overweight 12.6% and obesity 12.5%. Comparing
nutritional status among groups, in-patients had a significantly
higher prevalence of underweight and wasting and lower prevalence of
overweight and obesity than out-patients and healthy children
respectively.
Malnutrition is a common problem, present in
almost half of the children studied. Healthy children are more
likely to have over-nutrition, a problem of increasing importance in
our country nowadays. Sick children are prone to have problems of
under-nutrition. Good nutrition must be promoted to prevent
malnutrition and early detection of malnutrition should be a major
concern of health care personnel with introduction of early
intervention. |
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Latest Journal Volume Three December 2004 Number Two
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Updated July 2006 |
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