Some risk factors for protein-energy malnutrition in preschool children in Assiut city

ABSTRACT

The study included 560 children aged 12-60 months recruited from 12 day care centers representing the new and the old districts of Assiut City. Beside the history and clinical examination, the weight for height and the height for age ratios were calculated for each child. Stool examination for intestinal parasites was done for all of the examined children. Wasting, stunting, concurrent wasting and stunting were found in 9.1%, 13.1% and 2.1% respectively among the studied children. Intestinal parasites were found in 29.3% of children included in this study. Both wasting and stunting were more prevalent in children from the old district than those from the new one. The highest prevalences for wasting was found in the second and that for stunting was found in the third years of life. There was no significant difference as well as for stunting include low level of maternal educations, high crowding index per bed room and the presence of parasitic infestations. Risk factors for wasting [but not for stunting] include birth order more than the third, maternal age more than 35 years, and unskilled manual maternal job