Malnutrition Assessment Among School Children at Kibwegere Primary School in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Malnutrition remains a considerable problem among tribal children because of several factors, such as inadequate food, common infections, no access to health services, poor literacy, poor hygienic habits, and extreme cultural practices. It is a silent killer and is underappreciated among schoolchildren. The indicators used to define malnutrition were underweight, stunting, and wasting. The main objective of the study is to assess the nutritional status of children in and around Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was carried out, and 69 school-going children were assessed. Data was taken using a structured interview schedule. The children aged 5 to 14 years are the study population, whereas the fathers of children were the respondents. The prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting was determined using anthropometric measurements. This is the first attempt to conduct such an assessment in this region. It was found that one-third (11.59%) of children were severely malnourished on the basis of weight for age (underweight). On the basis of height for age (stunted), more than half of the children (56.52%) were severely impaired