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Article

Prevalence and Determinants of Undernutrition in Schoolchildren in the Kilombero District, South-Eastern Tanzania

by
Elihaika G. Minja
1,2,3,*,
Emmanuel C. Mrimi
1,2,3,
Winfrida P. Mponzi
1,
Getrud J. Mollel
1,4,
Christin Lang
5,
Johanna Beckmann
5,
Markus Gerber
5,
Uwe Pühse
5,
Kurt Z. Long
2,3,
Honorati Masanja
1,
Fredros O. Okumu
1,6,7,
Marceline F. Finda
1,7 and
Jürg Utzinger
2,3
1
Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences, Ifakara Health Institute, Ifakara P.O. Box 53, Tanzania
2
Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Kreuzstrasse 2, CH-4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
3
Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland
4
Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam P.O. Box 65001, Tanzania
5
Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Grosse Allee 6, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland
6
School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
7
School of Life Science and Bioengineering, Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science & Technology, Arusha P.O. Box 447, Tanzania
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9(5), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9050096
Submission received: 26 March 2024 / Revised: 19 April 2024 / Accepted: 23 April 2024 / Published: 25 April 2024
Versions Notes

Abstract

Childhood undernutrition is a major issue in low- and middle-income countries, affecting the health, well-being, and educational outcomes of schoolchildren. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of stunting, wasting, and underweight among schoolchildren in peri-urban areas in the south-eastern part of Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 930 children aged 6–12 years from four primary schools from July to August 2019. The WHO Anthro Survey Analyzer was employed to estimate the prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight, while logistic regression analyses examined sociodemographic background, malaria infection, anaemia, anthropometric measures, and dietary diversity score as potential factors. The prevalence of stunting, wasting, underweight, overweight, and obesity was 11.8%, 4.3%, 3.9%, 11.1%, and 2.0%, respectively. Overall, 1.5% of the children had malaria, as determined by rapid diagnostic tests, and 0.4% had severe anaemia. Univariate analysis indicated higher odds of undernutrition among children aged 9–12 compared to their younger peers. Stunting was more common among children with low and medium dietary diversity. Anaemia was found in 11.2% of schoolchildren, and severe anaemia was associated with wasting. Multivariate analysis revealed that age and low dietary diversity were significantly associated with undernutrition. These findings emphasise the need for school-based health and nutrition programmes targeting children beyond the age of 5 to improve their nutritional status and mitigate potential adverse effects on health, cognition, and academic achievement. Regular assessment of the nutritional status of schoolchildren is warranted.
Keywords: anaemia; malaria; nutritional status; schoolchildren; Tanzania; undernutrition anaemia; malaria; nutritional status; schoolchildren; Tanzania; undernutrition

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MDPI and ACS Style

Minja, E.G.; Mrimi, E.C.; Mponzi, W.P.; Mollel, G.J.; Lang, C.; Beckmann, J.; Gerber, M.; Pühse, U.; Long, K.Z.; Masanja, H.; et al. Prevalence and Determinants of Undernutrition in Schoolchildren in the Kilombero District, South-Eastern Tanzania. Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2024, 9, 96. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9050096

AMA Style

Minja EG, Mrimi EC, Mponzi WP, Mollel GJ, Lang C, Beckmann J, Gerber M, Pühse U, Long KZ, Masanja H, et al. Prevalence and Determinants of Undernutrition in Schoolchildren in the Kilombero District, South-Eastern Tanzania. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2024; 9(5):96. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9050096

Chicago/Turabian Style

Minja, Elihaika G., Emmanuel C. Mrimi, Winfrida P. Mponzi, Getrud J. Mollel, Christin Lang, Johanna Beckmann, Markus Gerber, Uwe Pühse, Kurt Z. Long, Honorati Masanja, and et al. 2024. "Prevalence and Determinants of Undernutrition in Schoolchildren in the Kilombero District, South-Eastern Tanzania" Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 9, no. 5: 96. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9050096

APA Style

Minja, E. G., Mrimi, E. C., Mponzi, W. P., Mollel, G. J., Lang, C., Beckmann, J., Gerber, M., Pühse, U., Long, K. Z., Masanja, H., Okumu, F. O., Finda, M. F., & Utzinger, J. (2024). Prevalence and Determinants of Undernutrition in Schoolchildren in the Kilombero District, South-Eastern Tanzania. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 9(5), 96. https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9050096

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