Association of undernutrition with dengue, malaria and acute diarrhea among children in a Thai-Myanmar border

Abstract

Background: Undernutrition has been shown to be associated with various infectious diseases. However, the recent improvement in nutritional status and management for infectious diseases worldwide necessitates the re-evaluation of this association.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in children aged <14 years old with dengue, malaria or acute diarrhea who visited or were admitted to Tha Song Yang hospital, near the Thai-Myanmar border.

Results: Most of the patients had mild disease and most of the undernourishment was mild. The prevalence of underweight in dengue, malaria and acute diarrhea was 24.0%, 34.7% and 38.7%, respectively, and the prevalence of low height for age was 12.0%, 36.0% and 36.0%, respectively. Malaria and acute diarrhea were associated with underweight but not low height for age. Dengue was neither associated with underweight nor low height for age.

Conclusion: Although there has been an improvement in nutritional status and health care facilities, underweight has been still prevalent in rural areas and associated with malaria and acute diarrhea.

Implication: The surveillance for nutritional status should be continuously performed particularly in children with some diseases, e.g. malaria and acute diarrhea, and additional food supplementation should be provided.

Keywords: acute diarrhea; anthropometry; dengue; malaria; undernutrition.