Prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among children 6 to 59 months of age in refugee camps along thailand-myanmar border

Abstract

© 2019, SEAMEO TROPMED Network. All rights reserved. Undernutrition remains a public health challenge among refugee children along Thailand-Myanmar border, and information on determinants of wasting and stunting is lacking. In order to identify such predictors a cross-sectional nutritional survey was conducted in nine refugee camps in 2017, involving 2,702 children 6-59 months of age. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify predictors. Prevalence of wasting and stunting was 2.1% and 28.8%, respectively. Low birth weight (<2,500 grams) [odds ratio (OR) = 4.7; 95% CI: 2.6-8.5] and uneducated mother (OR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.2-3.5) were significant predictors of wasting, as was large household size (>4 people) for stunting (OR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.1-1.7). Prevalence of childhood wasting was well below acceptable level, but stunting was moderate (per WHO criteria). Thus, it is crucial to strengthen nutrition interventions based on these predictors, especially among children with low birth weight and in families with mothers having minimal education.