Predictors of Nutritional Recovery Time among Children with Sever Acute Malnutrition Admitted at Outpatient Therapeutic Feeding Program in Shashemene Rural District, South Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Severe acute malnutrition is one of the major public health problems. Most of the studies were retrospective and also lack the most important variables such as the wealth and food security status of the families and institutional factors which could affect the recovery time of children with SAM. Objective: To assess recovery time and its predictors among 6-59 month’s children with severe acute malnutrition who are treated on OTP in Shashemene rural district health facilities. Methods: Institution based prospective cohort study was conducted among 279 children aged 6-59 months who are treated on OTP in Shashemene district. Children diagnosed as Sever acute malnutrition who visited the selected health facilities during the study period were the study population. The anthropometric measurement weight for height or the presence of bilateral edema was used to select sever acute malnutrition children. Primary Data was collected by face to face interview using structured questioners. The collected data was entered in to Epideta version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. The cox proportional regression was used to determine the predictors of recovery time. In bi-variable analysis co-variables with P-value of <0.25 were included in multi variable analysis. The final model was interpreted using AHR with 95%:CI at P-value of <0.05. Results: The median survival time to recovery at the study area was 6.0 weeks with5.0 to 7 weeks. Multi-variable analysis variables revealed that; the rate of recovery time was reduced by 29% among Children’s having edema (AHR=0.71; 95%: CI ((0.51, 1.01)). Children received amoxicillin during admission were 5.85(AHR=5.85; 95%: CI (3.59, 9.52)) at higher risk of recovered earlier as compared to no received ones. Vomiting during admission reduced the risk of early recovery time by 62% (AHR=0.38: 95%: CI (0.28, 0.50)). Anemia during admission reduced the risk of early recovery time by (AHR=0.76; 95%: CI (0.45, 1.79). Children who got diversified foods during follow up time were 1.51(AHR=1.51; 95%: CI (1.11, 1.45)) times at higher risk for early recovery than the rate of their counter parts. Conclusion: the median survival time to recovery at the study area moderately consistent as compared to the national figure. The present study revealed that; children’s having edema, presence of vomiting and anemia during admission were factors to reduce the risk of early recovery time. While; Children who were received amoxicillin and who got diversified foods during follow up time were at higher risk for early recovery.

Keywords; Recovery time, Sever acute malnutrition, outpatient, under five children and Shashemene district.

DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/123-03

Publication date: January 31^st 2024