An Area at War: Alarming Malnutrition Status and its Predictors among Children Aged 6-60 Months Old in Kokang, Myanmar

An Area at War: Alarming Malnutrition Status and its Predictors among Children Aged 6-60 Months Old in Kokang, Myanmar

Aim: Myanmar is a populous and impoverished country with military conflicts for over 40 years and Kokang is one of the most turbulent regions. Malnutrition is a major health problem in this area, however researches are limited. This study aims to evaluate the malnutrition condition of children in Kokang, Myanmar and the factors associated with malnutrition. Methods: Data were obtained from 123 children aged from 6 to 60 months. Anthropometrical assessment was performed and validated questionnaires were used to collect socioeconomic and demographic data. Results: Among the children enrolled in this study, 42.5% were found to be stunting, 22.5% were underweight, 8.3% were wasting, 8.3% were thin, 5.9% had a small head circumference, and 3.3% were wasting with amid-upper arm circumference <12.5 cm. Drinking spring or river water (OR=7.11, 95% CI2.46–20.52) was a predictor of stunting and low family annual income contributed to underweight (OR=8.95, 95% CI 1.63–49.11) in the regression model. Predictors of wasting included age and length of exclusive breastfeeding. Conclusion: This study illustrates the alarming local prevalence of childhood malnutrition and the associated predictors, which require a multipronged approach to find a solution.