NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF INFANT AND YOUNG CHILD IN THE URBAN COMMUNE OF FANDRIANA – MADAGASCAR

Biological Anthropology

Madagascar is by far the most heavily country hit by cumulative forms of malnutrition, combination of dietary intake and infection; children under 5 years are the most vulnerable group. The objective of this work is to assess the nutritional status of those children aged between 0-5 years and to identify the factors influencing their malnutrition in the city of Fandriana in 2018. A comparative survey of 310 children in times of abundance and 286 children during the lean season was conducted. Anthropometric, socio-economic and health data were collected. The sampling method used was a two-stage cluster survey. These data were processed and analyzed using the Epi info 7 software. The results indicate that during periods of abundance, the prevalence of underweight, chronic malnutrition and wasting are 32.9%, 63.87% and 7.84% respectively. Chronic malnutrition is significantly associated with colostrum intake and breastfeeding upon request, wasting with family planning and with maternal exclusive breastfeeding while underweight is significantly associated with the mother’s level of education. On the other hand, during the dry season, 81.82% of children suffer from stunting, 45.45% from underweight and 8.39% from wasting, strongly associated with permanent weaning. By comparing both periods, the statistical test shows a significant difference between the prevalence of underweight in the period of abundance and in the lean season.

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