Socio-economic risk factors for severe protein energy malnutrition among children in Mulago Hospital, Kampala

Background: Despite Uganda's recent economic success, malnutrition is still an important public health problem and little information is available on socio-economic risk factors for severe protein energy malnutrition. Objective: To determine socio-economic risk factors for severe protein energy malnutrition among children aged 0-60 months. Design: A case control study. Setting: Mulago Referral and Teaching Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. Patients: Sixty six severely malnourished children (age 0-60 months) were matched, for age and sex, with 66 well nourished controls, and socio-economic, demographic, health facility utilisation and feeding practices were compared between the two groups. Results: Severe protein energy malnutrition was associated with young age of the caretaker (p = 0.005), living in a mud walled house (OR 2.44, CI 1.13 - 5.32), lack of breast feeding (OR 3.22, CI 1.31 - 8.02), failure to complete immunisation (OR 3.68, CI 1.53 - 9.011), no land ownership (OR 4.62, CI 2.09 - 10.3), and no ownership of livestock (OR 13.65, CI 3.60 - 60.84), by the caretaker. The level of formal education of the caretaker was not associated with severe malnutrition. Conclusion: There seems to be a strong association between severe malnutrition and some indicators of poverty, lack of breastfeeding, and failure to complete immunisation, Programmes aimed at poverty alleviation, promotion of breastfeeding and immunisation, will go a long way in preventing malnutrition.