Assessment of Malnutrition and Anaemia and Their Determinants among Refugee Pre-School Children in Kebribeyah Refugee Camp, Somali Region, Ethiopia
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Date
2010-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Malnutrition and anemia remain one of the most common causes of morbidity and
mortality among children throughout the world. Both malnutrition and anemia are important
health problems affecting preschool children and pregnant women. Refugee children, due to their
living condition, are the most vulnerable to suffer from these problems. Surveys in the refugee
camps have shown that the prevalence of malnutrition and anaemia in the refugee camps were
high. However, underlying variations of these nutritional indicators and determinant factors
among refugee camps were poorly understood.
Objective: The main objective of this study was to assess malnutrition and anemia and identify
the various causes and determinants and their relative contributions in refugee settings.
Methodology: Cross -sectional study with analytic component was conducted in Kebribayah
refugee camp on a total of 671 refugee children aged between 6 and 59 months during the month
of March 2010. Simple random sampling method was employed to collect quantitative data using
structured questionnaire consisting of socio-demographic characteristics, child related variables,
maternal/care takers characteristics, environmental health conditions, anthropometric and
hemoglobin measurements. The study groups were drawn using random table number to select
the sampled households from the roaster. Data were entered using EPI-INFO software (version
3.5.1.) and exported into SPSS for analysis. NCHS/WHO reference population and standard was
used to convert height and weight measurements into nutritional indices. Bivariate and
multivariate logistic regression analysis were utilized to identify the factors associated with
under-nutrition and anaemia.
Results: Overall, the prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting were 27.6%, 26.1% and
8.9% respectively. While the prevalence of severe stunting, underweight and wasting was 9.5%,
4.8% and 2.5% respectively. The prevalence of anaemia was 52.4% and the magnitude of severe
anaemia was 10.5%. The main determinant factors of stunting were child age, maternal illiteracy,
paternal lack of education, and family size. Child sex, age, maternal lack of education, childhood
illness such as diarrhea and ARI, and lack availability of toilet facility were associated with
underweight. Age of child, sharing and selling of food ration, duration of ration lasting, presence
of ARI and poor personal hygiene (number of baths took) were the most important determinants
of wasting. The most determinant factors of anaemia were child age, lack of maternal and
paternal education, number of under five children in the HH, duration of ration lasting, sharing
and selling part of the ration, presence of diarrhea, stunting and underweight.
Conclusion and recommendations: The study indicates that underweight is serious in the area
according to the WHO classification, and chronic nutritional problem is also of particular
concern. The study also shows that anaemia was highly prevalent in the area and was categorized
as severe, compared to the WHO classification. Overall, the state of nutrition was better in the
area than other surveys but anaemia was highly prevalent and severe in the study area. Actions
targeting early child illness treatment are necessary to improve the nutritional status of the
children. In addition, it is advisable to consider fortified food ration with iron for the community
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Keywords
Malnutrition, Anemia remain