Abstract:

Background: Malnutrition is one of the major cause of mortality and morbidity among under five children in sub Saharan Africa contributing up to 50% of under-five mortality and in Tanzania it is among the leading public health concern. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and the factors associated with under nutrition among under five children attending RCH at Nyamagana District Hospital.

Methodology: This was a hospital based cross sectional study, where a total of 380 under five children were screened in order to determine their nutritional status. A prepared questionnaire was used to collect socio demographic information, clinical factors such as weight, height as well as MUAC. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.

Results: Out of 380 under five children, males were 198(52.1%) and females were 182(47.1%). The mean age, MUAC, height and weight were 18 months, 14.9 centimeters, 76.2 centimeters, and 9.9 kilograms respectively. The prevalence of under nutrition was 134(35.3%) and out of these 86.6% were found to be wasted. The factors associated with under nutrition were children who were weaned less than six months and children who attended clinic visits according to schedule with the p value of 0.03 and 0.044 respectively.

Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of under nutrition among under five children attending RCH at Nyamagana District Hospital and early weaning was significantly associated with malnutrition. Therefore more emphasis should be put on timing of weaning practices in under-five children in our setting.