Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Apr 21;12(6):4086-4099.
doi: 10.1002/fsn3.4068. eCollection 2024 Jun.

An assessment of the nutritional status of internally displaced school children in the West and Littoral Regions of Cameroon

Aba Richard Ejoh  1 , Boh Mirabelle Nwachan  1 , Ngangmou Theirry Noumo  1
Affiliations

An assessment of the nutritional status of internally displaced school children in the West and Littoral Regions of Cameroon

Aba Richard Ejoh et al. Food Sci Nutr. .

Abstract

Malnutrition remains a major public health challenge among children in developing countries, especially those experiencing civil wars and political unrest. It is imperative to ascertain the level of malnutrition, particularly in displaced children, to develop and effectively implement interventions. This study was a cross-sectional survey conducted to assess the nutritional status of 657 internally displaced school-aged children (5-15 years) enrolled in primary schools in the West and Littoral Regions of Cameroon. The height, weight, and mid-upper arm circumference of the children were measured using standard measurements. Clinical examinations were also made on the children. Other parameters that affect nutritional status, such as morbidity and health-seeking practices, were assessed using pre-tested, structured interviewer questionnaires. An analysis of the data revealed that stunting was the most prevalent form of malnutrition (27.1%), followed by wasting (23%), thinness (21.6%), and underweight (20.1%). About 44.5% of the children had low serum iron, and 35.7% of them had poor protein status. The prevalence of anemia was 30.0%. The most common signs of protein, vitamin A, and iron deficiencies observed were thin, dry, or sparse hair (5.2%), pallor (7.3%), and xerosis (3.3%), respectively. About 32% of the children had been sick within the previous month of the study, and the most common illness was the common cold (19.8%). Most of them (>60%) had good health-seeking practices. The high prevalence of stunting, wasting, thinness, underweight, anemia, protein, and iron deficiency calls for interventions such as nutrition education and supplementation to prevent malnutrition and diet-related diseases among children.

Keywords: Cameroon; West and Littoral Regions; internally displaced schoolchildren; nutritional status.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Prevalence of wasting according to BMI‐for‐age of the children.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Protein and iron status of the children.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Anemia status of the children.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Health‐seeking practices.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Abidoye, R. O. , & Bofori, S. (2000). A study of prevalence of protein energy malnutrition among 0–5 years in rural Benue State, Nigeria. Nutrition and Health, 13(4), 235–347. - PubMed
    1. Akeh, M. L. , Tendongfor, N. , Nchung, A. J. , Chipili, G. , Mbhenyane, X. , & Tambe, A. B. (2022). Magnitude and predictors of malnutrition among internally displaced persons' children 6–59 months in Bamenda Health District of Cameroon: A community‐based cross‐sectional study. Journal of Nutrition and Health. 10.1177/02601060221132134 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Amruth, M. (2012). A study on the nutritional status and risk factors for malnutrition among primary school children in Sullia, Karnataka (Master's thesis). Shridevi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Hospital, Department of Community Medicine.
    1. Benneh, G. , & DeLancey, M. W. (2004). Cameroon: Culture, history and people . https://www.britanica.com
    1. Best, C. , Neufingerl, N. , van Geel, L. , van den Briel, T. , & Osendarp, S. (2010). The nutritional status of school‐aged children: Why should we care? Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 31(3), 400–417. 10.1177/156482651003100303 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources