Bantirgu, Mulugeta2018-09-242023-11-052018-09-242023-11-051987-02http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/12157A 6 weeks fo l low up study regarding the association between P.E .M and diarrh e~ l dis eases and AR I was performed in 1757 children under fiv e years living in 8 peasants ' villages of Harar Awraja , Harrarghe Region . 2% thes~ children were found to be below -2 Z-score of weight - far - height index. In children aged 1 - 5 years 8.7% were severly malnourished «12 . 5 cms of MUAC) , and 22% were moderat8ly malnouri.shed OIUAC = 12.5- 13 . 5 em) . During the follow up period 63 . 6% children developed new episodes of diarrhea and 63.4% had new symptoms of ARI . Diarrheal attack rat e o f 2 . 5 p e r c hild and mean duration of 4 . 9 days was observ ~ d . Fo r AIlI the rates were 2 . 2 and 4 . 5 respectively . Both the duration and frequenc~ o f AR I and diarrh eal diseases were found to be associated with ag e and nutri tional status . Diarrh ea l di seases and ARI were more frequent and of lo nger du r ation in chi l dren less t han 2 year s of age chi Idren (MUAC relative to older c hildren . Ma l nourished <13 . 5 cms) showed attack rates and l onger duration significantly h igher than th e ade quately nour i shed by the same standard . Nutritional s tatus as assessed by weight - far - height index was not found to be associated with morbidity . At the end of the follow up period 18 . 7% of c hildren lost weigh t from what they have initIally. 77 . 6% had gained weight and 3.7% did not show any change . 47 . 5% showed decrease in their MUAC from wllat was obser ved at the beginning . 29 . 3% had increased MUAC an d in 23 . 3% v i I the initial and the last r e adjn[;s were s imilar. More children in the younger age group s howed a tend ency to gain weight and MUlIC whil~ jn th e old e r ones the tend ency was towards n e[; ~ tive gain, 'fhe InajoriLy n~ children who lost weight and MUAC had diarrhea (70.4 % \ and was fotmd to be statistically signifi c ant . ARI did not s how a s sociation to weight and MUAC chan ges . This study proves thaL ma.lllll Lril. iun in c rcas es morbidity from infectious diseases and inf ec ti o ns parti cularly diarrhea can contribut e Lo malnu t riti on. This focus es attention on the importanc e o f a combined at t ack on both infections & ''''alnut ri t jon II'h ich is b est a c h i e ved by coordinatedmllltisectora l co llabo raLl on. VillenProtein Energy MalnutritionThesis