EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF MALNUTRITION IN CHILDREN LESS THAN FIVE YEARS ADMITTED TO GAAFAR IBN OAF PAEDIATRIC HOSPITAL, KHARTOUM, SUDAN

A study was conducted to investigate epidemiological aspects of Malnutrition in Children under five years Admitted to GaafarIbn Oaf Paediatric Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan. The children less than five years (282) who admitted to the hospitals during one month were subjected to weight and height measurements, and their mothers were interviewed to obtain relevant data. The proportion of malnutrition among all registered diseases was 20.2%. Malnourished children were classified into washiorkor 43.8%, Marasmus 40.4%, Marasmickwash 12.3% and underweight 3.5%. Several factors were associated with malnutrition i.e. sex of child (odds ratio=2.4 - %95 confidence interval=1.3 - 4.5), child age (p-value was close to zero), family size (odds ratio=2.8 - %95 confidence interval=1.5 ? 5.1), mother’s education (odds=7.5 - %95 confidence interval=3.9 ? 14.7) and awareness of mothers about malnutrition (odds ratio=5.3 %95 confidence interval=2.9 ? 9.8). The frequency of malnutrition in children less than five, as well as in many developing regions, was high compared to other diseases