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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Correlates of malnutrition among children under 2 years of age admitted to hospital in Yaoundé, Cameroon |
Authors: | Kuate Defo, B. Young, T.B. |
Year: | 1993 |
Periodical: | Journal of Tropical Pediatrics |
Volume: | 39 |
Issue: | 2 |
Pages: | 68-75 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Cameroon |
Subjects: | malnutrition children |
External link: | http://tropej.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/39/2/68 |
Abstract: | A survey of health status, biodemographics, and use of health care services of all children under 2 years of age, consecutively admitted to the Baudeloque ward of the Central Hospital of Yaoundé, Cameroon, was conducted over a 12-month period (1984). During the admission procedure, each child's mother or surrogate mother was interviewed and the child was weighed according to study protocol; additional data were collected by review of hospital records. A total of 669 children were recruited into the study sample. Nutritional status was estimated by categories based on weight-for-age. Overall, 43 percent of the sample were of normal weight-for-age, and 6 percent, 19 percent, and 32 percent were categorized as having severe, moderate, and mild malnutrition, respectively. Multinomial logit modelling was used to identify independent correlates of mild, moderate, and severe protein-energy malnutrition simultaneously. The study findings underscore the broad health benefits of immunizations. Furthermore, any prior contact of mother or child with the health care system appears to be associated with better nutritional status on hospital admission. Children with mothers employed outside the home may benefit particularly from health services outreach programmes. Ref., sum. |