Caregivers’ Ability to Assess for Wasting Status of Their Under Five Children: A Cross Sectional Study at Mwanamugimu Nutrition Unit, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
Wasting, a form of malnutrition, continues to be a major childhood health challenge affecting over 50 million children annually. It remains more pronounced in the middle- and low-income countries and continues to pose a great threat to child survival; approximately 800,000 deaths due to wasting worl...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
EcoScribe Publishers Company Limited
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Food Innovation, Nutrition, and Environmental Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://jfines.org/index.php/jfines/article/view/13 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850182334475665408 |
|---|---|
| author | Prudence Ainomugisha Hanifa Bachou Martin Kasendwa Amanda Murungi Benard Owori Susan Akriat Richard Kajjura Christopher Garamoi |
| author_facet | Prudence Ainomugisha Hanifa Bachou Martin Kasendwa Amanda Murungi Benard Owori Susan Akriat Richard Kajjura Christopher Garamoi |
| author_sort | Prudence Ainomugisha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wasting, a form of malnutrition, continues to be a major childhood health challenge affecting over 50 million children annually. It remains more pronounced in the middle- and low-income countries and continues to pose a great threat to child survival; approximately 800,000 deaths due to wasting worldwide per year. Caregivers may play key roles in early identification and referral of wasted children for care. This study aimed to assess caregivers’ ability to measure wasting status of their children aged 6-59 months. A cross sectional study was conducted in September 2022; included caregivers of children 6-59 months while children with cerebral palsy, critical illness and bilateral oedema were excluded; 73 participants were enrolled, oriented on importance and use of Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC), interviewed using pre-coded questionnaire and observational checklist. Reference MUAC measurements were conducted for respective children by a nutritionist. MS Excel 2018 and STATA 15 were used to analyze data. It was observed that caregivers could measure and categorize wasting status of their children using MUAC if supported. Overall, 72 (98.6%) of participants were able to measure MUAC and categorize the wasting status of their children with high sensitivity (100%, 97.5 Positive Predictive Value) and specificity (97.1% 100% Negative Predictive Value). High level of agreement was observed between participant’s and Nutritionist’s measurement and categorization of MUAC (k = 0.82). |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1b1a2acd28a54c389f4cd42b0940fce6 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 3078-5537 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | EcoScribe Publishers Company Limited |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Food Innovation, Nutrition, and Environmental Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-1b1a2acd28a54c389f4cd42b0940fce62025-08-20T02:17:39ZengEcoScribe Publishers Company LimitedJournal of Food Innovation, Nutrition, and Environmental Sciences3078-55372025-04-0121637010.70851/jfines.2025.2(1).63.7056Caregivers’ Ability to Assess for Wasting Status of Their Under Five Children: A Cross Sectional Study at Mwanamugimu Nutrition Unit, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, UgandaPrudence Ainomugisha0https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9260-0651Hanifa BachouMartin Kasendwa1Amanda Murungi2Benard Owori3Susan Akriat4Richard Kajjura5Christopher Garamoi6School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.Maternal Child Health and Nutrition Activity, Family Health International, Uganda Office.Mwanamugimu Nutrition Unit, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, UgandaClinical Epidemiology Unit, School of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaMwanamugimu Nutrition Unit, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, UgandaSchool of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaSchool of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, UgandaWasting, a form of malnutrition, continues to be a major childhood health challenge affecting over 50 million children annually. It remains more pronounced in the middle- and low-income countries and continues to pose a great threat to child survival; approximately 800,000 deaths due to wasting worldwide per year. Caregivers may play key roles in early identification and referral of wasted children for care. This study aimed to assess caregivers’ ability to measure wasting status of their children aged 6-59 months. A cross sectional study was conducted in September 2022; included caregivers of children 6-59 months while children with cerebral palsy, critical illness and bilateral oedema were excluded; 73 participants were enrolled, oriented on importance and use of Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC), interviewed using pre-coded questionnaire and observational checklist. Reference MUAC measurements were conducted for respective children by a nutritionist. MS Excel 2018 and STATA 15 were used to analyze data. It was observed that caregivers could measure and categorize wasting status of their children using MUAC if supported. Overall, 72 (98.6%) of participants were able to measure MUAC and categorize the wasting status of their children with high sensitivity (100%, 97.5 Positive Predictive Value) and specificity (97.1% 100% Negative Predictive Value). High level of agreement was observed between participant’s and Nutritionist’s measurement and categorization of MUAC (k = 0.82).https://jfines.org/index.php/jfines/article/view/13childhood wastingmuac measurementcaregiverschildren aged 6-59 months |
| spellingShingle | Prudence Ainomugisha Hanifa Bachou Martin Kasendwa Amanda Murungi Benard Owori Susan Akriat Richard Kajjura Christopher Garamoi Caregivers’ Ability to Assess for Wasting Status of Their Under Five Children: A Cross Sectional Study at Mwanamugimu Nutrition Unit, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda Journal of Food Innovation, Nutrition, and Environmental Sciences childhood wasting muac measurement caregivers children aged 6-59 months |
| title | Caregivers’ Ability to Assess for Wasting Status of Their Under Five Children: A Cross Sectional Study at Mwanamugimu Nutrition Unit, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda |
| title_full | Caregivers’ Ability to Assess for Wasting Status of Their Under Five Children: A Cross Sectional Study at Mwanamugimu Nutrition Unit, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda |
| title_fullStr | Caregivers’ Ability to Assess for Wasting Status of Their Under Five Children: A Cross Sectional Study at Mwanamugimu Nutrition Unit, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda |
| title_full_unstemmed | Caregivers’ Ability to Assess for Wasting Status of Their Under Five Children: A Cross Sectional Study at Mwanamugimu Nutrition Unit, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda |
| title_short | Caregivers’ Ability to Assess for Wasting Status of Their Under Five Children: A Cross Sectional Study at Mwanamugimu Nutrition Unit, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda |
| title_sort | caregivers ability to assess for wasting status of their under five children a cross sectional study at mwanamugimu nutrition unit mulago national referral hospital kampala uganda |
| topic | childhood wasting muac measurement caregivers children aged 6-59 months |
| url | https://jfines.org/index.php/jfines/article/view/13 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT prudenceainomugisha caregiversabilitytoassessforwastingstatusoftheirunderfivechildrenacrosssectionalstudyatmwanamugimunutritionunitmulagonationalreferralhospitalkampalauganda AT hanifabachou caregiversabilitytoassessforwastingstatusoftheirunderfivechildrenacrosssectionalstudyatmwanamugimunutritionunitmulagonationalreferralhospitalkampalauganda AT martinkasendwa caregiversabilitytoassessforwastingstatusoftheirunderfivechildrenacrosssectionalstudyatmwanamugimunutritionunitmulagonationalreferralhospitalkampalauganda AT amandamurungi caregiversabilitytoassessforwastingstatusoftheirunderfivechildrenacrosssectionalstudyatmwanamugimunutritionunitmulagonationalreferralhospitalkampalauganda AT benardowori caregiversabilitytoassessforwastingstatusoftheirunderfivechildrenacrosssectionalstudyatmwanamugimunutritionunitmulagonationalreferralhospitalkampalauganda AT susanakriat caregiversabilitytoassessforwastingstatusoftheirunderfivechildrenacrosssectionalstudyatmwanamugimunutritionunitmulagonationalreferralhospitalkampalauganda AT richardkajjura caregiversabilitytoassessforwastingstatusoftheirunderfivechildrenacrosssectionalstudyatmwanamugimunutritionunitmulagonationalreferralhospitalkampalauganda AT christophergaramoi caregiversabilitytoassessforwastingstatusoftheirunderfivechildrenacrosssectionalstudyatmwanamugimunutritionunitmulagonationalreferralhospitalkampalauganda |