Malnutrition prevalance of children between ages 0-5, and related factors in Diyarbakir's benusen region

Children make up a significant proportion of Turkey's population, and they can grow up to be healthy and productive adults only if they get a sufficient and balanced diet. Healthy nutrition for children can be defined as a diet that provides them with all the energy and nutrients that are necessary for leading a healthy life and growing/developing. Healthy nutrition plays a critical role in the bodily, social and emotional development of children, and can be assessed by tracking the development of the child. Malnutrition, on the other hand, is defined as "overnutrition" or "undernutrition" that results from an imbalance between the amount of nutrient intake that actually happens and the amount that the body needs. This study aims to examine the prevalence of malnutrition among children aged 0 to 5 in the Benusen neighborhood of the Diyarbakır province of Turkey, identify the factors associated with malnutrition, and evaluate child nutrition practices. This study was conducted in an urban environment, with the participation of 261 children systematically sampled from the population of children aged 0 to 5. Anthropometric measurements of the children were taken, and a 35-item questionnaire developed after a review of the literature was administered to their mothers. Of the children who participated in the study, 139 (53.3%) were male, and 122 (46.7%) were female. The average weight at birth of the children was 3029.4 ± 488.2. Among the mothers, 189 (72.4%) were under the age of 30. 58.6% of the mothers either had no formal education or did not graduate from primary school. 74.7% of the children were living in nuclear families. 31.4% of the children were born by cesarean section and 68.6% were born by normal delivery. 95.4% of the births took place in a hospital. 87.7% of the children received colostrum. 59.4% of the children were exclusively breastfed for the first six months. Using Gomez classification for malnutrition, it was found that 26.4% (n=69) of the 261 children had mild malnutrition, and 3.1% (n=8) had moderate malnutrition. No case of severe malnutrition was detected. Using Z scores and looking at values lower than -2SD, prevalence of thinness (weight for height), low weight (for age) and low height (for age) were found to be 3.1% (n=8) , 4.6% (n=12) and 16.5% (n=43), respectively. (p<0,05)