Chronic malnutrition and its determinants among refugee children: Evidence from refugee camp of Ethiopia

Background: Malnutrition remains one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality among children throughout the world, and is an important public health problem affecting preschool children. Refugee children, due to their living condition, are the most vulnerable to suffer from this problem. The magnitude of malnutrition and its determinant factors among refugee children are not clearly identified and documented. Objective: To assess the magnitude of malnutrition and its determinants among refugee preschool children Methodology: A cross -sectional study with analytic component was conducted in Kebribayah refugee camp during March 2010. A total of 671 refugee children aged between 6 and 59 months were randomly selected using simple random sampling and assessed for their nutrition status based on weight and height measurements. Data were entered into the computer using EPI-INFO software version 3.5.1. (has Epi – Nut) to compute the nutritional using the NCHS/WHO reference population and then exported to SPSS version16.0 statistical software package program for data cleaning and analysis. Results: The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting were 27.6%, 26.1% and 8.9% respectively. The main determinant factors of stunting were child age, maternal illiteracy, paternal lack of education, and family size (p< 0.05). Child sex, age, maternal lack of education, childhood illness such as diarrhea and ARI, and lack availability of toilet facility were associated with underweight (p< 0.05). Age of child, sharing and selling of food ration, duration of ration lasting, presence of ARI and poor personal hygiene (number of baths took) were the most important determinants of wasting (p< 0.05). Conclusion: The present study delineated the factors associated with stunting, underweight and wasting among refugee children. Underweight is serious in the area and chronic malnutrition (stunting) was also of particular concern. To achieve success in nutritional status of refugee children provision of adequate food ration, sufficient provision of micronutrients, early child illness treatment, and educating parents should be respected and pressure from the food aid donors/concerned bodies to reduce families sharing and selling their food ration should be encouraged. Furthermore, provision of non-food items should be strengthened to improve the hygienic practice of the beneficiaries.