Abstract:
Background: Acute malnutrition to be a major health burden in the world, particularly in the developing world.
Acute malnutrition is associated with more than one third of the global disease burden for children. Malnourished
children are physically, emotionally and intellectually less productive and suffer more from chronic illnesses and
disabilities. The nature, magnitude and determinants of acute malnutrition are determined among the general
populations; however, there is a lack of evidence in the nomadic communities.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the magnitude and factors associated with acute
malnutrition among children aged 6–59 months in Hadaleala district, Afar Region. A total of 591 under-five
children were included in this study, and subjects were recruited by the multistage cluster sampling
technique. Data were collected by a pre-tested questionnaire and a simple anthropometric index so called
mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC). The multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to
identify factors associated with acute malnutrition on the basis of adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95%
confidence interval (CI) and p < 0.05.
Results: The prevalence of acute malnutrition was 11.8% (95% CI = 9.3, 14.8%). The highest prevalence (50%)
of acute malnutrition occurred among children aged between 12.0–23.0 months. Childhood acute malnutrition was
associated with the presence of two (AOR = 2.49, p < 0.05) and three (AOR = 12.87, p < 0.001) children in each
household, unprotected drinking water sources (AOR = 3.78, p < 0.05), absence of the latrine (AOR = 5.24, p < 0.05),
hand washing with soap (AOR = 0.21, p < 0.05), childhood diarrheal disease (AOR = 2.72, p < 0.05), and child vaccination
(AOR = 0.15, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The prevalence of acute malnutrition among children aged 6-59 months was was higher than the
national prevalence. The number of children in each household, drinking water sources, latrine availability,
hand washing practice before food preparation and child feeding, childhood diarrheal disease, and child
vaccination were identified as factors affecting the childhood acute malnutrition in the nomadic community.
Protecting drinking water sources from possible contaminants, improving hand washing practices, utilization
of latrine, preventing diarrheal diseases and vaccinating children integrated with the access of nutrition
education is important to improve nutrition of children of the nomadic people.
