Malnutrition associated factors on children under 5 years old in Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives

In this report, we aimed to analyze the prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among children under 5 years of age in Lhaviyani Atoll, Maldives. A total of 800 children (under 5 years old) and their mothers were selected for this study. Data was collected by using a pretested questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were taken from the hospital record book. Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression were used to find the association between nutritional status and determinants. The distribution of height for age and weight for age in surveyed children in Maldives was skewed to the left compared with the WHO standard. The prevalence of undernutrition based on underweight (10.75%), stunting (13.5%), and wasting (9.60%) was estimated to be 23.85% among children. Child age, gender and mother's education were significantly associated with undernutrition (P<0.05). Our survey highlighted that better nutritional interventions are needed to improve child health in this region.