Frequency of Underweight and its Risk Factors in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months
Background: Globally, approximately 104 million children suffer from underweight conditions, with a significant majority residing in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In Pakistan, the issue of underweight prevalence among children under the age of 5 is alarming across all province...
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| Format: | Article |
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Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Liaquat National Journal of Primary Care |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.lnh.edu.pk/lnjpc/pdf/648bcac6-9080-4460-b147-434bbcb58b8c.pdf |
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| author | Mohsin Ali Memon Syed Nauman Raza Syed Muhammad Zulfiqar Hyder Naqvi Syed Imtiaz Ahmed Jafry |
| author_facet | Mohsin Ali Memon Syed Nauman Raza Syed Muhammad Zulfiqar Hyder Naqvi Syed Imtiaz Ahmed Jafry |
| author_sort | Mohsin Ali Memon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Globally, approximately 104 million children suffer from underweight conditions, with a significant majority residing in
regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In Pakistan, the issue of underweight prevalence among children under the age
of 5 is alarming across all provinces, ranging from 19.2% in Islamabad Capital Territory to 41.3% in Sindh.
Objective: To assess the frequency of underweight and identify its associated factors among children aged 6 to 59 months in
Nawabshah City, Sindh.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Baqai Institute of Health Sciences, Karachi from February 2023 to March
2024. The study included a total of 371 children aged 6 to 59 months. Data collection was performed using interviews and weight
measurement. Being underweight was defined as children with a weight-for-age z-score of <-2SD, determined by using WHO child
growth standards. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.
Results: The mean age of the children was 24.21±13.14 months, 198 (53.4%) were female whereas only 44 (11.9%) were completely
immunized. Moreover, 111 (29.9%) study children were found to be underweight. Multivariable analysis further revealed that female
gender, not exclusively breastfeeding a child for six months, weaning at 6 months of age or above, bottle feeding, and not providing
meat to a child in any form were significantly associated with the child being underweight.
Conclusion: Around thirty percent of the study children were identified as underweight. Moreover, many participant characteristics
and practices studied were significantly associated with children being underweight |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ed52db2889cd474fbca5e296f7ccfb73 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2707-3521 2708-9134 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Liaquat National Hospital and Medical College |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Liaquat National Journal of Primary Care |
| spelling | doaj-art-ed52db2889cd474fbca5e296f7ccfb732025-08-20T03:35:19ZengLiaquat National Hospital and Medical CollegeLiaquat National Journal of Primary Care2707-35212708-91342025-07-017323524010.37184/lnjpc.2707-3521.7.51Frequency of Underweight and its Risk Factors in Children Aged 6 to 59 MonthsMohsin Ali Memon0Syed Nauman Raza1Syed Muhammad Zulfiqar Hyder Naqvi2Syed Imtiaz Ahmed Jafry3Qureshi Welfare Medical Center and Maternity Home, Nawabshah, PakistanDepartment of Community Medicine, Baqai Medical College, Karachi, PakistanDepartment of Community Medicine, Baqai Medical College, Karachi, PakistanDepartment of Community Medicine, Baqai Medical College, Karachi, PakistanBackground: Globally, approximately 104 million children suffer from underweight conditions, with a significant majority residing in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In Pakistan, the issue of underweight prevalence among children under the age of 5 is alarming across all provinces, ranging from 19.2% in Islamabad Capital Territory to 41.3% in Sindh. Objective: To assess the frequency of underweight and identify its associated factors among children aged 6 to 59 months in Nawabshah City, Sindh. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Baqai Institute of Health Sciences, Karachi from February 2023 to March 2024. The study included a total of 371 children aged 6 to 59 months. Data collection was performed using interviews and weight measurement. Being underweight was defined as children with a weight-for-age z-score of <-2SD, determined by using WHO child growth standards. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. Results: The mean age of the children was 24.21±13.14 months, 198 (53.4%) were female whereas only 44 (11.9%) were completely immunized. Moreover, 111 (29.9%) study children were found to be underweight. Multivariable analysis further revealed that female gender, not exclusively breastfeeding a child for six months, weaning at 6 months of age or above, bottle feeding, and not providing meat to a child in any form were significantly associated with the child being underweight. Conclusion: Around thirty percent of the study children were identified as underweight. Moreover, many participant characteristics and practices studied were significantly associated with children being underweighthttps://journals.lnh.edu.pk/lnjpc/pdf/648bcac6-9080-4460-b147-434bbcb58b8c.pdffrequencyunderweightdemographicsrisk factorschildren. |
| spellingShingle | Mohsin Ali Memon Syed Nauman Raza Syed Muhammad Zulfiqar Hyder Naqvi Syed Imtiaz Ahmed Jafry Frequency of Underweight and its Risk Factors in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months Liaquat National Journal of Primary Care frequency underweight demographics risk factors children. |
| title | Frequency of Underweight and its Risk Factors in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months |
| title_full | Frequency of Underweight and its Risk Factors in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months |
| title_fullStr | Frequency of Underweight and its Risk Factors in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months |
| title_full_unstemmed | Frequency of Underweight and its Risk Factors in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months |
| title_short | Frequency of Underweight and its Risk Factors in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months |
| title_sort | frequency of underweight and its risk factors in children aged 6 to 59 months |
| topic | frequency underweight demographics risk factors children. |
| url | https://journals.lnh.edu.pk/lnjpc/pdf/648bcac6-9080-4460-b147-434bbcb58b8c.pdf |
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