Prevalence and risk factors of underweight status among children aged between six to twenty-four months in Hlaing Tharyar Township of Myanmar

Abstract

A  cross-sectional  study  was  used  to  identify  the  prevalence  of  underweight  status  and  risk  factors among children aged between six to twenty- four months in Hlaing Tharyar Township. Two-stage stratified sampling method was used to randomly select 385 respondents. A face to face interview with a structured questionnaire  were  used  to  obtain  data  from  mothers  and  their  child’s  weight  were  measured.   Chi-square test  and  multiple  logistic  regression  were  used  to  examine  associations  between  independent  variables  and underweight  of children.

Prevalence of underweight status was 17.7%.  The underweight status was significantly associated with family income, mother’s occupation, father’s occupation, gestational period, age of the child, immunization, food intake between 10 to 12 months and 13 to 24 months. Immunization (Adj OR= 3.31, 95%CI= 1.13-9.66) remained  significant  predictors  for  underweight  status  of  children  when  adjusting  for  the  other  factors. Children not taking vaccination were 3.31 times more likely to be underweight than those taking vaccination. The  findings  of  this  study  suggested  that  promoting  health  education  programs  to  increase  knowledge  of mothers,  and  increasing  immunization  coverage  up  to  100%  should  be  done  by  the  authorities  to  improve the  nutritional  status  of the  children.