Acute malnutrition associated with mid-upper arm circumference among under-five children in tribal areas, India: a cross-sectional study
Abstract Objective: For the past three decades, India has implemented several nutrition programmes to address malnutrition in the under-fives. To understand the programme’s impact, this study assesses the prevalence of acute malnutrition, moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe acute malnutri...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Public Health Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980024002465/type/journal_article |
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| Summary: | Abstract
Objective:
For the past three decades, India has implemented several nutrition programmes to address malnutrition in the under-fives. To understand the programme’s impact, this study assesses the prevalence of acute malnutrition, moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM), using mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) among tribal children.
Design:
The survey was conducted in two tribal blocks (Desaiganj and Bhamragad) of the Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra to identify children registered in the ‘Anganwadi’ program.
Setting:
A community-based cross-sectional survey was carried out.
Participants:
The total sample size was 1055 children (aged 0–59 months).
Results:
The overall prevalence of SAM and MAM was 1·4 % (n 15) and 9·8 % (n 103). A higher prevalence of MAM was found in males (38·5 %, n 40) and females (27·1 %, n 28) in below 6 months. Additionally, a higher prevalence of MAM was observed in females (10·7 %, n 113) compared with males (9·0 %, n 95). The prevalence of SAM was significantly (P < 0·001) higher in females (1·7 %, n 18) than in males (1·0 %, n 11). Children aged between 12 and 17 months were sixteen times more likely (OR = 16·9, P < 0·001, CI = 4·8, 59·6) to have MAM (MUAC < 12·5 cm) than children aged between 6 and 11 months. Children from the Desaiganj block were significantly less likely (OR = 0·4, P < 0·001, CI = 0·2, 0·7) to have MAM compared with children from Bhamragad. Approximately 4 % (n 42) of children were classified as critically malnourished.
Conclusion:
There is an urgent need for block-level monitoring of MAM and SAM, as well as evaluation of existing nutrition programmes, to address the disparity in the sex-specific prevalence of MAM and SAM in tribal areas.
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| ISSN: | 1368-9800 1475-2727 |