ID-5184 Wonca Abstracts supplement A-K 13-10-23 - Flipbook - Page 264
WONCA 2023 Supplement 1: WONCA 2023 abstracts (A–K)
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Outcome of clinical assessment of malnutrition in children
below two years in a faith-based health institution in Nigeria
Dr Eloho Patricia Hambolu1, Dr Adekunle Ariba2, Sophia Bukola Ishola1, Oluwatosin Adisa1,
Gregory Arifalo1, Iyabode Olabisi Dedeke3, Sunday Malomo3, Ufuoma Ogigirigi1
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Sacred Heart Hospital, Abeokuta, 2Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu,
Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta
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Background
The first 1000 days of life – from conception to a child’s second birthday – is considered as most
important to a child’s proper growth and development. Optimal nutrition is a major factor to achieving
this. However, childhood malnutrition remains a huge challenge in sub-Saharan African countries like
Nigeria where there is limited knowledge about malnutrition and its associated factors in children within
this critical period of life. It is thus necessary to study and identify the factors linked to malnutrition
among children within this period.
Objective
To describe the prevalence, pattern and factors associated with malnutrition in children below 2 years
seen at the Sacred Heart Hospital, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 214 children (aged 1–24 months) who attended the
Pediatric Outpatient Department, selected by a systematic random sampling method. Data were
collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS
version 22.
Results
The overall proportion of children with at least one form of malnutrition was 66.4%. The prevalence
of stunting, wasting, underweight and overweight/obesity was 51.4%, 14.0%, 18.2% and 23.4%,
respectively. Malnutrition was significantly associated with child’s age, birth weight, gestational age
at delivery (P < 0.05) and the father’s level of education. Furthermore, gestational age at delivery
(preterm), child’s age group (1–6 months, 7–12 months and 13–18 months) and birth weight (less than
2.5 kg) were independent predictors of malnutrition in this study.
Conclusion
Routine use of simple anthropometric tools can help in the early detection of different forms of
malnutrition in young children, thus allowing for early intervention and prevention of negative
consequences.
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