Nutritional Assessment by Anthropometric Methods under five-year-old Children Attending the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic at Al-Zahraa University Hospital

Mahmoud, Samah Mohamed; AboElela, Asmaa Mohammed; Mohamed, Ensaf Khalil

doi:https://doi.org/10.21608/aimj.2025.446672

Nutritional Assessment by Anthropometric Methods under five-year-old Children Attending the Pediatric Outpatient Clinic at Al-Zahraa University Hospital

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Pediatrician, Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University

² 2- Public Health and Community Medicine, Community and Occupational Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine (Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

https://doi.org/10.21608/aimj.2025.446672

Abstract

Introduction: Nutrition in early childhood is crucial for physical, cognitive, and emotional growth, where its deficits lead to irreversible consequences like stunting, wasting, and heightened infection risk.
Aim: To identify the nutritional status of children under five years through anthropometric measurements and their possible associated factors.
Patients and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 350 children of both genders, aged 6 months to 5 years, from the pediatric outpatient clinic of Al-Zahraa University Hospital using a systematic random sample. Anthropometric measurements, including weight, height, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and skinfold thickness, were taken according to WHO guidelines. A structured questionnaire was designed to collect data about socio-demographics, Complaints of children, diagnosis, mode of delivery, and birth weight by interviewing caregivers or mothers. Nutritional status was classified using the WHO growth standards.
Results: Revealed that 56.3% of the children were male, and 98% resided in urban areas with a mean age of 23.4 ± 17.02 months. The common diagnoses were respiratory diseases (64.3%) and gastroenteritis (27.7%). Anthropometric measurements showed that 42.9%, 25.1%, 32.3%, and 12% had malnutrition according to weight for age z score, height for age z score, weight for height z score, and UMAC, respectively. The logistic regression displayed the predictors of malnutrition, encompassing female gender, chronic illnesses, working mothers, and normal deliveries, with a statistically significant p-value ≤ 0.05 and families with high income levels without a significant p-value > 0.05.
Conclusion: The study highlights a significant proportion of children under five with malnutrition, particularly those with chronic illnesses. Targeted nutritional interventions, community education, early detection and treatment, and socio-economic support are essential to address these disparities and mitigate the long-term impacts of malnutrition on child health.

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