Factors associated with nutritional status of preschool children in Sheikh Osman community Borama Somaliland

Abstract

Abstract Background Child malnutrition is a severe public health crisis in regions like Somaliland, leading to adverse developmental outcomes. Context-specific data are crucial for effective interventions, yet are limited in communities like Sheikh Osman, Borama. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and identify associated factors among preschool children in this community. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 152 preschool children (2–5 years) were recruited in the Sheikh Osman community. We collected anthropometric measurements and used caregiver questionnaires to gather data on child health and socio-demographics. Malnutrition was defined using WHO standards. To identify associated factors, multivariate logistic regression was performed, using the SMOTE technique to address class imbalance in the data. Results A high prevalence of malnutrition (79.6%) was found. The analysis revealed that the number of diarrheal episodes (Adjusted OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.10–1.83) and upper respiratory infections (AOR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.03–1.66) were significantly associated with increased odds of a child being malnourished. Socio-economic factors did not show a significant association in the adjusted model. Conclusion Malnutrition among preschool children in the Sheikh Osman community is critically high and strongly associated with the burden of infectious diseases. Findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted public health interventions focusing on improving child health, particularly through enhanced WASH, immunization, and clinical care, to break the cycle of infection and malnutrition.

Keywords

• Child malnutrition
• Malnutrition prevalence
• Internal risk factors
• Preschool children
• Somaliland
• Borama