Malnutrtion in diarrhea, Malaria and dengue among children in Tha Song Yang, Tak, Thailand

Abstract

We retrospectively investigated the association of malnutrition with diarrhea, malaria and dengue. Our study included 225 children, divided into 3 groups of 75 patients, who attended Tha Song Yang Hospital, Tak Province in Thailand before the end of December 2015. Six (8.0%), 0 and 6 (8.0%) were severe cases in diarrhea, malaria and dengue, respectively. Seven (9.3%), 11 (14.7%) and 9 (12.0%) cases in the diarrhea, malaria and dengue groups, respectively, had malnutrition [Cut-off points for BMI for thinners in children equivalent to children at 18 years old age with BMI 17 for patients aged >= 5 years old and weigh-for-age z score, weight-for-height z score or height-for-z score < -2 for patients aged < 5 years old]. Four (5.3%) diarrhea, 7 (9.3%) malaria and 0 dengue patients had severe malnutrition. There was no statistical difference in the prevalence of malnutrition between the 3 diseases. The prevalence of severe malnutrition was significantly highest in malaria. The prevalence of severe malnutrition was significantly higher in malaria compared to dengue in the patients aged < 5 years old in a subgroup analysis. In conclusion, severe malnutrition was associated with malaria for children aged < 5 years old. Studying malnutrition in Tha Song Yang may help solve the malnutrition problem in this rural area on Thai-Myanmar border.