Prevalence and Determinants of Undernutrition in Schoolchildren in the Kilombero District, South-Eastern Tanzania
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Date
2024-04-25
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MDPI
Abstract
Childhood undernutrition is a major issue in low- and middle-income countries, affecting
the health, well-being, and educational outcomes of schoolchildren. This study aimed to assess
the prevalence and associated factors of stunting, wasting, and underweight among schoolchildren
in peri-urban areas in the south-eastern part of Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted
involving 930 children aged 6–12 years from four primary schools from July to August 2019. The
WHO Anthro Survey Analyzer was employed to estimate the prevalence of stunting, wasting, and
underweight, while logistic regression analyses examined sociodemographic background, malaria
infection, anaemia, anthropometric measures, and dietary diversity score as potential factors. The
prevalence of stunting, wasting, underweight, overweight, and obesity was 11.8%, 4.3%, 3.9%, 11.1%,
and 2.0%, respectively. Overall, 1.5% of the children had malaria, as determined by rapid diagnostic
tests, and 0.4% had severe anaemia. Univariate analysis indicated higher odds of undernutrition
among children aged 9–12 compared to their younger peers. Stunting was more common among
children with low and medium dietary diversity. Anaemia was found in 11.2% of schoolchildren, and
severe anaemia was associated with wasting. Multivariate analysis revealed that age and low dietary
diversity were significantly associated with undernutrition. These findings emphasise the need for
school-based health and nutrition programmes targeting children beyond the age of 5 to improve
their nutritional status and mitigate potential adverse effects on health, cognition, and academic
achievement. Regular assessment of the nutritional status of schoolchildren is warranted.
Sustainable Development Goals
SGD-2: Zero Hunger
Keywords
Anaemia, Malaria, Nutritional status, Schoolchildren, Tanzania, Undernutrition