Association between malaria and malnutrition among children aged under-five years in Adami Tulu District, south-central Ethiopia: a case–control study (original) (raw)
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Infectious Diseases of Poverty, 2017
Background: Recent studies have presented conflicting findings about whether malaria is associated with an increased or decreased risk of malnutrition. Therefore, assessing the relationship between these two disastrous diseases in the most vulnerable groups, such as in children aged below 5 years (under-five children), may lead to the discovery of new low-cost and effective aides to current methods of malnutrition prevention in malariaendemic areas. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the relationship between malaria and malnutrition among under five children in an area with a high degree of malaria transmission. Methods: The study involved comparing malnourished children aged 6-59 months and nourished children of the same age for their past exposure to malaria, in Shashogo District, Southern Ethiopia. A validated structured questionnaire was used to collect home to home socioeconomic data and anthropometric instruments for clinical data. The collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics by means of EpiData entry software and STATA data analysis software. Results: A total of 356 (89 malnourished and 267 nourished) under-five children participated in the study. Previous exposure to Plasmodium infection was found to be a predictor for the manifestation of malnutrition in under-five children (P = 0.02 [OR = 1.87, CI = 1.115-3.138]). Children from a household with a monthly income of less than USD 15 were 4.5 more likely to be malnourished as compared to the other children (P = 0.001 [OR = 0.422, CI = 0.181-0.978]). Conclusion: This study found that exposure to Plasmodium has a significant impact on the nutritional status of children. In addition, socio-demographic factors, such as family income, may play a role in determining whether children are malnourished or not and may lead to increased morbidity due to malnourishment in children living in malaria-endemic areas. Therefore, malnutrition control interventions should be consolidated with malaria prevention strategies particularly in high malaria transmission areas.
PloS one, 2018
Given the high prevalence of malnutrition in a malaria-endemic setting, improving nutritional status could serve as a tool to prevent malaria. However, the relationship between the two conditions remains unclear. Therefore, this study assessed the association between under-nutrition and malaria among a cohort of children aged 6 to 59 months old. Two cohorts of children were followed for 89 weeks in a rural Rift Valley area of Ethiopia. In the first approach (malaria-malnutrition), a cohort of 2,330 non-stunted and 4,204 non-wasted children were included to assess under-nutrition (outcome) based on their previous malaria status (exposure). In the second approach (malnutrition-malaria), a cohort of 4,468 children were followed-up to measure malaria (outcome), taking under-nutrition as an exposure. A weekly home visit was carried out to identify malaria cases. Four anthropometry surveys were conducted, and generalized estimating equation (GEE) method was used to measure the association...
2014
Background Malaria and malnutrition are the major causes of morbidity and mortality in under-five children in developing countries including Ethiopia. Malnutrition is an underplaying cause in about half of all deaths occurring among children in developing countries. However, the relationship between malnutrition and malaria is still controversial. This relationship has not been well documented in Ethiopia. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess whether malnutrition is associated with malaria among under-five children in Adami Tulu district, South-central Ethiopia. Methods A case-control study was conducted in Adami Tulu District, south-central Ethiopia. Cases were all under-five children diagnosed with confirmed malaria, in selected health facilities, during the data collection period. Controls were apparently healthy under-five children recruited from the community where cases reside. Mothers/caretakers of under-five children were interviewed using pre-tested structured que...
BMC Public Health, 2015
Background: The contradictory results on the interaction between nutritional status and malaria warrants further investigation in various epidemiological settings, to assert the antagonistic or synergistic relationship. This study examines the prevalence, severity and predictors of malnutrition and its influence on malaria parasitaemia and anaemia severity in children in the Mount Cameroon area. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 454 children ≤ 14 years was carried out from February to May 2013 in Muea community. Anthropometric measures of malnutrition (z-scores < −2 standard deviations below mean) were obtained and spleen size assessed. The prevalence and density of malaria parasites were determined and haemoglobin concentration and white blood cell count obtained using an automated haematology analyzer. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate influence of malnutrition on anaemia, malaria parasitaemia and predictors respectively. Results: The overall prevalence of malnutrition was 22.8 %, with stunting being the most common form (17.1 %), followed by underweight (8.2 %) and wasting (5.5 %). Stunting was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in males (23.1 %) than in females (11.9 %). The prevalence of malnutrition was significantly highest (P = 0.03) in children ≤5 years old (29.5 %) than their counterparts. Severe stunting, wasting and underweight were prevalent in 4.9 %, 1.6 % and 1.8 % of the children respectively. Clinical malaria parasitaemia was significantly higher (P = 0.01) in children who were stunted (16.9 %) and underweight (21.6 %) than their normal counterparts (7.5 %; 8.2 % respectively). The model demonstrated sex (P = 0.006) and age group 1.1-3 years (P = 0.03) as significant predictors of malnutrition. In children who were malaria parasite negative, the prevalence of anaemia as well as severities were significantly higher (P = 0.04 and P = 0.001 respectively) in those malnourished. Conclusions: The presence of stunting in the community significantly augmented the prevalence and clinical presentation of Plasmodium infection. Malnutrition enhanced the severity of anaemia in malaria parasite negative children hence, their health and growth potential needs to be improved upon.
Parasites & vectors, 2018
Malnutrition is common in children in sub-Saharan Africa and is thought to increase the risk of infectious diseases, including malaria. The relationship between malnutrition and malaria was examined in a cohort of 6-59 month-old children in rural Gambia, in an area of seasonal malaria transmission. The study used data from a clinical trial in which a cohort of children was established and followed for clinical malaria during the 2011 transmission season. A cross-sectional survey to determine the prevalence of malaria and anaemia, and measure the height and weight of these children was carried out at the beginning and end of the transmission season. Standard anthropometric indices (stunting, wasting and underweight) were calculated using z-scores. At the beginning of the transmission season, 31.7% of children were stunted, 10.8% wasted and 24.8% underweight. Stunting was more common in Fula children than other ethnicities and in children from traditionally constructed houses compared...
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2008
Malaria and malnutrition are a major health burden in developing countries with infants and children being the most vulnerable groups. The extent of the burden of malaria and malnutrition was investigated in 339 children ≤14years residing in the village of Muea located in the South West Province of Cameroon. Malaria parasitaemia was determined microscopically from Giemsa stained thick blood films. Nutritional status was determined using age and the anthropometric parameters of weight and height. Height-forage (HAZ), weight-forage (WAZ) and weight-forheight (WHZ) Z scores were computed based on the National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS)/World Health Organisation growth reference curves. Anaemia was assessed by measuring haemoglobin (Hb) concentration while plasma iron levels were determined by spectrophotometric assays. The prevalence of malaria in the study population was 96.2% (326/339) with a majority (68.4%) having asymptomatic disease. The geometric mean parasite density (GMPD) was 744.37 ± 89396.11 (parasitaemia range 40-153190 parasites/µL blood). The mean Hb concentration was 9.29 ± 1.8g/dL (range 4-14.1g/dL) and anaemia (Hb<11g/dL) was diagnosed in 81.4% of the children, a majority of whom had microcytic anaemia. A negative correlation was observed between parasite density and haemoglobin concentration (r =-0.14). The mean plasma iron level was 53.64 ± 32.87µL/dl (range 1.8-159) with 58.7% (199/339) of the children diagnosed as iron deficient (plasma iron concentrations <50µg/dL). A negative correlation was observed between plasma iron values and malaria parasitaemia (r =-0.031). The prevalence of malnutrition was 58.1% (197/339). Of the 197 malnourished children, 23.6% were wasted (<-2 SD weight-for-height Z-score), 26.5% underweight (<-2 SD weight-forage Z score) and 49.9% stunted (<-2 SD height-forage Z score). There was a negative correlation between nutritional status and malaria parasitaemia (r =-0.034). The findings from this study are strongly suggestive that falciparum malaria and malnutrition exist in children residing in Muea and constitute a major health problem which needs to be immediately addressed to reduce morbidity and mortality.
Childhood asymptomatic malaria and nutritional status among Port Harcourt children
East African journal of public health, 2007
Objective: Our study in Port Harcourt children with asymptomatic malaria aimed at assessing the baseline anthropometric indices of nutritional status, and whether their nutritional status (especially under nutrition) offers any advantage for living in malaria endemic areas. Design: Cross-sectional study was used. Setting: Rumueme Community in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Subjects: Apparently healthy children aged 1-8 years of both sexes (Boys = 117, Girls = 123; Ratio 1: 1.05), 240 children from randomly selected households within the study community participated in the study. Results: Of the 240 children, 66 (27.5%) were infected with malaria (P falciparum). Children below 5 years had a higher parasitaemic rate (36.36%) than those in 5-8 years group (21.27%). Our baseline data showed that 17.5% were underweight (WFA Z <-2), 3.75% were stunted (HFA Z <-2) and 22.5% were wasting (WFH Z <-2). Children who are underweight were found to be at higher risk of acquiring malaria infection than the well nourished children (RR = 1.02, χ 2 = 0.320, p < 0.02, 95% CI 0.34-2.37). Under nutrition was more prominent in the children below 5 years than the older children (RR = 3.625, χ 2 = 10.36, p < 0.006, 95% CI I.81-5.43). The haemoglobin value of parasitized children (10.8 ± 1.9 g/dl) was significantly lower than the non-parasitized group (11.3 ± 1.7 g/dl,) (p < 0.01). Conclusion: We concluded that the presence of under nutrition places children (especially below 5 years of age) at higher risk of malaria related morbidity. Children in malaria endemic areas need adequate nutrition to withstand the negative impact of malaria.
Background Malaria remains a challenging health problem in malaria endemic regions. Malaria associated anemia represent a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Both, anemia (reduced in hemoglobin level) and underweight in terms of (weight-for-age) was a critical problem of malaria directly or indirectly. The objective of this study was to assess malaria related anemia and malaria related underweight among under-five years age children in Arushe wanqat kebele. Children’s were selected through systematic random sampling technique to select the first children from new vital event registration master list of Arushe wanqat kebele, and then totally 364 children were included. Parasitological, hematological and anthropometric measurements were conducted. Questionnaire survey was also used in order to assess malaria related anemia and weight on children whose age were below five years. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 20 and was presented in frequency, table, pie c...
Malaria and Nutritional Status of Children in Anambra State, Nigeria
Asian Journal of Research in Zoology, 2020
Malaria is a major cause of morbidity especially in children less than five years of age. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between malaria infection and nutritional status of some purposely selected children aged 0-36 months from hospitals in Anambra State, Nigeria. Data were collected on nutritional status using anthropometric data-age, height, weight and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC). Malaria infection status was obtained through microscopic examination of thick films blood smears. The prevalence of malnutrition (weight-for-height Z-scores) among malaria uninfected in the community and hospital surveys was 26.7% and 9.2% respectively, while the prevalence among the malaria parasite infected children was 21.4% and 7.4% in the community and hospital respectively. The average number of malnourished children Original Research Article Okeke et al.; AJRIZ, 3(4): 61-74, 2020; Article no.AJRIZ.62537 62 with Z-scores <-2SD were slightly higher than WHO standard. More malaria infected boys had Z-scores <-2SD compared to the WHO standard. Prevalence of malnutrition based on MUAC among malaria parasite infected children was very high (100% and 98.1% in community and hospital, respectively). The average number of stunted (height-forage Z-score) children in both community and hospital survey was very high compare to WHO standard. It may be concluded that there is a high rate of malnutrition based on MUAC among malaria infected children in Anambra State.