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Most children who took part in a comprehensive malnutrition programme in Madagascar reached and maintained the recovery threshold
Author(s) -
Magnin Margot,
Stoll Beat,
Voahangy Rajaobelina,
Jeannot Emilien
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.13796
Subject(s) - medicine , malnutrition , anthropometry , severe acute malnutrition , odds ratio , confidence interval , pediatrics , nutrition education , public health , demography , environmental health , gerontology , nursing , sociology
Aim The benefits of including nutritional education in programmes that tackle moderate and severe acute malnutrition remain poorly documented. This study in Madagascar evaluated the nutritional status of children who took part in an innovative programme that included maternal education, on completion and after a year. Methods Each year, this outpatient programme admits 2400 malnourished children from six months to 59 months in the lower districts of Antananarivo, Madagascar. Children were drawn by lots, and their anthropometric data were measured. A descriptive retrospective longitudinal study was conducted on 573 children who took part between 2010 and 2013. Results The programme lasted an average of 38 days and, on completion, 82.2% had reached the recovery threshold, and 16.2% had moved up to mild malnutrition. This was achieved with food supplements of 720 kcal per day, despite the Malagasy Public Health recommendation of 1000–1500 kcal per day. After one year, 79.1% were still above the recovery threshold, and 15% had mild malnutrition. The recovery rate was higher for children under 24 months of age (odds ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.93–4.59). Conclusion Most children who attended this malnutrition programme with maternal education in Madagascar reached the recovery threshold on completion and had maintained it after one year.