. 2017 May 10;14(5):509.

doi: 10.3390/ijerph14050509.

Underweight, Stunting and Wasting among Children in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania; a Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Melina Mgongo^{1

2}, Nikolas A S Chotta³, Tamara H Hashim^{4

5}, Jacqueline G Uriyo^{6

7}, Damian J Damian^{8

9}, Babill Stray-Pedersen^{10

11

12}, Sia E Msuya^{13

14

15}, Margareta Wandel¹⁶, Siri Vangen^{17

18

19}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0863 Oslo, Norway. linnabenny@yahoo.com.
² Better Health for African Mother and Child, P.O. Box 8418, Moshi, Tanzania. linnabenny@yahoo.com.
³ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0863 Oslo, Norway. sagumochotta@gmail.com.
⁴ Better Health for African Mother and Child, P.O. Box 8418, Moshi, Tanzania. tammyhtz@yahoo.com.
⁵ Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, 0317 Oslo, Norway. tammyhtz@yahoo.com.
⁶ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0863 Oslo, Norway. jackieuriyo@yahoo.com.
⁷ Better Health for African Mother and Child, P.O. Box 8418, Moshi, Tanzania. jackieuriyo@yahoo.com.
⁸ Institute of Public Health, Department of Community Health, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, P.O. Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania. d_jeremy5@yahoo.com.
⁹ Institute of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, P.O. Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania. d_jeremy5@yahoo.com.
¹⁰ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0863 Oslo, Norway. babill.stray-pedersen@medisin.uio.no.
¹¹ Better Health for African Mother and Child, P.O. Box 8418, Moshi, Tanzania. babill.stray-pedersen@medisin.uio.no.
¹² Division of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, 0863 Oslo, Norway. babill.stray-pedersen@medisin.uio.no.
¹³ Better Health for African Mother and Child, P.O. Box 8418, Moshi, Tanzania. siamsuya@hotmail.com.
¹⁴ Institute of Public Health, Department of Community Health, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, P.O. Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania. siamsuya@hotmail.com.
¹⁵ Institute of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, P.O. Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania. siamsuya@hotmail.com.
¹⁶ Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, 0317 Oslo, Norway. margareta.wandel@medisin.uio.no.
¹⁷ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0863 Oslo, Norway. sirvan@ous-hf.no.
¹⁸ Division of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, 0863 Oslo, Norway. sirvan@ous-hf.no.
¹⁹ Norwegian National Advisory Unit for Women's Health, 0863 Oslo, Norway. sirvan@ous-hf.no.

PMID: 28489043
PMCID: PMC5451960
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14050509

Underweight, Stunting and Wasting among Children in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania; a Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Melina Mgongo et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017.

. 2017 May 10;14(5):509.

doi: 10.3390/ijerph14050509.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0863 Oslo, Norway. linnabenny@yahoo.com.
² Better Health for African Mother and Child, P.O. Box 8418, Moshi, Tanzania. linnabenny@yahoo.com.
³ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0863 Oslo, Norway. sagumochotta@gmail.com.
⁴ Better Health for African Mother and Child, P.O. Box 8418, Moshi, Tanzania. tammyhtz@yahoo.com.
⁵ Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, 0317 Oslo, Norway. tammyhtz@yahoo.com.
⁶ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0863 Oslo, Norway. jackieuriyo@yahoo.com.
⁷ Better Health for African Mother and Child, P.O. Box 8418, Moshi, Tanzania. jackieuriyo@yahoo.com.
⁸ Institute of Public Health, Department of Community Health, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, P.O. Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania. d_jeremy5@yahoo.com.
⁹ Institute of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, P.O. Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania. d_jeremy5@yahoo.com.
¹⁰ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0863 Oslo, Norway. babill.stray-pedersen@medisin.uio.no.
¹¹ Better Health for African Mother and Child, P.O. Box 8418, Moshi, Tanzania. babill.stray-pedersen@medisin.uio.no.
¹² Division of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, 0863 Oslo, Norway. babill.stray-pedersen@medisin.uio.no.
¹³ Better Health for African Mother and Child, P.O. Box 8418, Moshi, Tanzania. siamsuya@hotmail.com.
¹⁴ Institute of Public Health, Department of Community Health, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, P.O. Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania. siamsuya@hotmail.com.
¹⁵ Institute of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, P.O. Box 2240, Moshi, Tanzania. siamsuya@hotmail.com.
¹⁶ Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1046, 0317 Oslo, Norway. margareta.wandel@medisin.uio.no.
¹⁷ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0863 Oslo, Norway. sirvan@ous-hf.no.
¹⁸ Division of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, 0863 Oslo, Norway. sirvan@ous-hf.no.
¹⁹ Norwegian National Advisory Unit for Women's Health, 0863 Oslo, Norway. sirvan@ous-hf.no.

PMID: 28489043
PMCID: PMC5451960
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14050509

Abstract

This study assessed the prevalence and risk factors associated with underweight, stunting and wasting among children aged 0-24 months in six districts of Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania. A cross-sectional population-based study using a multistage, proportionate to size sampling was conducted from June 2010 to March 2011. A structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic, economic, feeding and child information. Anthropometric data were collected by trained field workers, and the data were used to assess child nutritional status. A total of 1870 children were enrolled in this study. The prevalence of children classified as underweight was 46.0%, stunting was 41.9%, and wasting was 24.7%. About 33% were both underweight and stunted, and 12% had all three conditions. In a multivariate logistic regression, child age, child being ill and birth weight were associated with all anthropometric indices. Child being breastfed was associated with being underweight and wasting. Mother's education was associated with being underweight and stunting. Fathers aged 35+ years, and living in the Hai district was associated with stunting, and being female was associated with wasting. The prevalence of child undernutrition is high in this region. Strategies that target each risk factor for child undernutrition may help to reduce the problem in the region.

Keywords: Kilimanjaro; Tanzania; breastfeeding; child illness; stunting; underweight; wasting.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The founding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Modified conceptual framework for factors affecting child undernutrition.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Underweight, Stunting and Wasting among Children in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania; a Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

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Underweight, Stunting and Wasting among Children in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania; a Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

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