The double burden of malnutrition in South Africa: risk factors for undernutrition and overnutrition and the development of a novel mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) screening tool in children
type: CreativeWork
description: The World Health Organisation has produced recommendations for screening for malnutrition in childhood. However, evidence is emerging that the performance of these tools is region-specific. The aim of this set of six studies were to identify contextual factors which contribute to childhood malnutrition and assess the performance of a malnutrition screening tool in a South African population. The first study was conducted on 400 infants and children younger than 24 months of age from primary health facilities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The aim was to assess whether household food security, social welfare, and birth weight were associated with childhood nutritional status. Low birth weight was associated with height-for-age, and that this effect was still applicable even when controlling for food security and social welfare (p<0.05). Low birth weight could therefore be considered as an indicator from birth to triage children as high risk for stunting. The second study was conducted on 1496 infants and young children between birth and 59 months of age, living in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This study aimed to identify whether vitamin A supplementation, anti-helminth chemotherapy, and vaccination coverage, are associated with childhood nutritional status. We found that coverage of vitamin A supplementation (60.4%) and deworming (61.5%) were poor among this sample, with one third of participants having missed their most recent dose, however vaccination coverage was stronger (86.2%). Having a history of delayed vitamin A, deworming or vaccinations was not associated with anthropometric indicators of nutritional status among these children (Χ2 =23.79, df=19, n=840, p=0.204). However, a significant relationship was observed between delayed vitamin A supplementation and age category (Χ2 =32.105, df=19, n=836, p=0.03) as well as between delayed deworming and age category (Χ2 =45.257, df=17, n=558, p<0.01) and older children were more likely to have missed doses. W…
abstract: The World Health Organisation has produced recommendations for screening for malnutrition in childhood. However, evidence is emerging that the performance of these tools is region-specific. The aim of this set of six studies were to identify contextual factors which contribute to childhood malnutrition and assess the performance of a malnutrition screening tool in a South African population. The first study was conducted on 400 infants and children younger than 24 months of age from primary health facilities in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The aim was to assess whether household food security, social welfare, and birth weight were associated with childhood nutritional status. Low birth weight was associated with height-for-age, and that this effect was still applicable even when controlling for food security and social welfare (p<0.05). Low birth weight could therefore be considered as an indicator from birth to triage children as high risk for stunting. The second study was conducted on 1496 infants and young children between birth and 59 months of age, living in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. This study aimed to identify whether vitamin A supplementation, anti-helminth chemotherapy, and vaccination coverage, are associated with childhood nutritional status. We found that coverage of vitamin A supplementation (60.4%) and deworming (61.5%) were poor among this sample, with one third of participants having missed their most recent dose, however vaccination coverage was stronger (86.2%). Having a history of delayed vitamin A, deworming or vaccinations was not associated with anthropometric indicators of nutritional status among these children (Χ2 =23.79, df=19, n=840, p=0.204). However, a significant relationship was observed between delayed vitamin A supplementation and age category (Χ2 =32.105, df=19, n=836, p=0.03) as well as between delayed deworming and age category (Χ2 =45.257, df=17, n=558, p<0.01) and older children were more likely to have missed doses. W…
author: McLaren, Shawn
keywords: 360 Social problems & services; associations
date published: 2022-05
date modified: 2026-07-24T02:54:47Z
provider: London Metropolitan University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: London Metropolitan University