MAGNITUDE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF SEVERE ACUTE MALNUTRITION AMONG UNDER FIVE CHILDREN IN CHEHA WOREDA, GURAGER ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA, 2021 G.C

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition is the intake of an insufficient, surplus or disproportionate amount of energy and/or nutrients. Globally, Severe Acute Malnutrition has been reduced by only 11% over the past 20 years and continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Severe acute malnutrition affects nearly twenty million children under 5 years, causing up to 1 million deaths each year by increasing susceptibility to death from severe infection. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess magnitude and associated factors of severe acute malnutrition among under than five children, in Cheha woreda, Gurage zone in 2021 G.C. Methods: Institutional based cross sectional study was used. The final sample size calculated as 184. The study units were chosen using systematic random sampling. A structured interviewer administered questionnaire used to generate the data. The data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 20. Result: The response rate was 92.4%. The magnitude of SAM in Cheha woreda health facilities is 19.4 [with 95% CI: 13.9-26.5]. Severe acute malnutrition was significantly associated with age groups above 6 months (AOR = 6, 95% CI 2.2–17), residency(AOR = 3, 95% CI 1–8), child sex(AOR =1.6, 95% CI 0.4–7), respiratory tract illness preceding 2 weeks before SAM(AOR = 6.6, 95% CI 1.7–24), fever preceding 2 weeks before SAM (AOR = 0.6 95% CI 0.2-3), diarrhea preceding 2 weeks before SAM(AOR = 4.4, 95% CI 1.4–14) and usage of family planning(AOR = 2, 95% CI 0.5–8) . Conclusion and recommendation: Based on the findings of this study we can conclude that; child malnutrition is still high in the study area which is higher than the national and regional EDHS 2019 national report. Residence of patient, age categories, occurrence of diarrhea in the last two weeks and exposure to RTI were found to be significantly associated with the occurrence of SAM among under five children of Cheha woreda health facility. We recommend that nutritional education should be given by health extension workers to improve feeding, hygiene practice at HH level and on proper utilization and benefits of family planning. We would like also to suggest them to continue to implement the integrated management of acute malnutrition.