Evaluation of Malnutrition in Infants Aged 0 - 59 Months in the Suburbs of Dakar

Introduction: Child malnutrition is a major public health concern worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The latest report from Senegal’s Continuous Demographic and Health Survey revealed that 18% of children in Senegal were stunted (chronic malnutrition), 8% were wasted (acute malnutrition) and 14% were underweight. Thus, this study aimed to assess the characteristics associated with malnutrition in children according to their nutritional status. Methods: This descriptive transverse study was conducted at the Pediatric Social Institute of Pikine/Guediawaye and the National Hospital Center of Pikine, in Senegal between October and December 2019. A total of 94 children were recruited, with the consent of their legal tutors. Descriptive and multivariate analyses of the factors associated with malnutrition were performed. The z-scores for the indices of nutrition were determined with WHO Anthro® software version 3.2.2. All the data analyses were performed using R software version 4.2.2. Result: From the 94 children recruited, 51.06% were female, with a sex ratio (male/female) of 0.96. Acute malnutrition was recorded in 62.77% of cases, chronic malnutrition in41.49%, and underweight in 71.27%. Linear regression analysis showed that many factors, such as the female gender [OR = 1.82 CI (1.02 - 3.3), P-value = 0.04], consanguinity [OR = 2.84 CI (1.14 - 7.65), P-value = 0.03], low birth weight [OR = 4.83 CI (2.15 - 12.89), P-value = 0.0004], were associated with acute malnutrition. Low birth weight (<2.5 kg) [OR = 10.66 CI (3.82 - 44.39) P-value < 0.0001], non-exclusive breastfeeding [OR = 3 CI (1.40 - 7.13)] P-value = 0.007], dietary diversification before six months [OR = 2.04 CI (1.23 - 3.51), P-value = 0.007] and others factors were associated with underweight. The most frequently recorded clinical signs are weight loss (30.85%), fever (23.40%), diarrhea (34.04%), and anemia (70.21%). Conclusion: Problems associated with malnutrition are multifactorial. Dietary diversification, consanguinity, and low birth weight are factors associated with malnutrition in children in Senegal. Thus, special attention must be paid to this problem because of its impact on child survival. .