Acute respiratory infection and malnutrition among children below 5 years of age in Erbil governorate, Iraq

Malnutrition is an important risk factor for acute respiratory infection (ARI), which is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity among children aged < 5 years. This case-control study aimed to determine the relationship between nutritional status and ARI among young children aged < 5 years attending a teaching hospital in Erbil, Iraq. Children admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of ARI over a 4-month period in 2006-2007 (n = 190) were compared with a control group without ARI (n = 192). Significantly more ARI cases were male (64.7% versus 53.1%) and the mean age was lower [15.6 (SD 15.4) versus 26.4 (SD 19.7) months]. Weight and height were lower in the ARI group but there was no significant difference in weight-for-age or in height-for-age. There was a significant association between ARI and indicators of malnutrition according to the Gomez and Welcome anthropometric criteria but not the Waterlow criteria.