Nutritional status and associated factors among children aged 6 months to 17 years with disabilities in Gulele Sub-city, Addis Ababa

Abstract

Malnutrition and disability are interconnected especially in countries suffering from high levels of malnutrition including Ethiopia. Thus, this study aimed to assess the nutritional status and its associated factors among children with disabilities aged six months to seventeen years old, in Gulele Sub-city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study used cross-sectional study design. Anthropometric measurements including height, weight, and midupper arm circumference (MUAC), and Body Mass Index (BMI) were taken. Based on the individual dietary diversity score, 165 children (60.7%) with disability consumed ≥ 6 food groups. MUAC and BMI measurements also indicate 55.1% and 58.1%, respectively, had normal nutritional status. However, the remaining proportion of children with disability were found to have moderate and severe acute malnutrition. 35.3% children with disability were not feed properly due to poor appetite, restlessness, pharyngeal artesia, and preference of food items. More than average number of children with disability had normal nutritional status while, the rest had moderate and severe acute malnutrition. This was associated with difficulty of feeding, types of disability such as multiple disability, occupation of the household head, family size and income level. It is recommended that counselling regarding the needs of the children with disability for mothers/ caregivers should be established as disability specific service points.