Nutritional status and intestinal parasites among young children from pastoralist communities of the Ethiopian Somali region
Open Access
- 5 February 2020
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Maternal & Child Nutrition
- Vol. 16 (3), e12955
- https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12955
Abstract
Pastoralist children in the Ethiopian Somali Regional State (ESRS) are at high risk for undernutrition and intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs). We assessed the nutritional status and its association with IPIs in 500 children ‐1(8.2, 10.9), 6.2 μg L‐1 (4.0, 10.2), and 0.8 μmol L−1 (0.67, 0.91), respectively. Prevalence of anaemia, iron, and vitamin A deficiency was 75, 91, and 30%, respectively. IPIs' prevalence was 47%; the most prevalent IPIs were Giardia lamblia (22%) and Ascaris lumbricoides (15%). Giardial infections but not A. lumbricoides increased the risk for MUAC 2 or with exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months, respectively. Undernutrition and IPIs are alarmingly high in Giardial infections and low nutritional adequacy of the diet seem to be major contributing factors to the precarious nutritional status and should be addressed by appropriate interventions.Funding Information
- Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit (10.13039/100009131)
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