Risk Factor for Malnutrition in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months Hospitalized in a Pediatric Ward in the South of the Sahara

Malnutrition is a major public health problem in Mali, along with the country’s political and security instability. We initiated this work with the objective of determining the frequency as well as the risk factors favoring the occurrence of malnutrition in children aged 6 - 59 months hospitalized in the pediatrics department of the Gabriel Toure University Hospital in Bamako, country reference service to identify potential interventions to plan. A cross-sectional study was carried out over a period of 4 months. A bivariate logistic regression analysis allowed us to identify risk factors with degree of significance if p 0.05. During the study period, 2888 children were hospitalized, including 348 aged 6 to 59 months, or a frequency of 12.04%. One in two children was malnourished, i.e. a frequency of 50%. It more frequently affected infants aged between 6 and 23 months with a frequency of 33.7%, with a hospital frequency of growth retardation which was 23% including 14.7% of severe form. The emaciation was 27% of which 18.7% were severe form. The underweight was 42.2% with 31% in severe form. We found the diet inequality in all malnourished and non-malnourished children. A bivariate analysis showed that children with an out-of-school mother have a 2.4-fold risk of being malnourished (OR = 2.425; CI = 1.9 - 4.2; p 0.03). Also children from households with no stable income (non-salaried father) have twice the risk of children from a household with stable income (OR = 2.120; IC = 1.1 - 4.1; p 0.002). Finally, inappropriate nutrients (early introduction of food and early weaning) have been strongly associated with the occurrence of malnutrition. The prevalence of malnutrition reflects the way children eat. Emphasis should be placed on nutritional education and financial stability in households.