Child malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa : a meta-analysis of demographic and health surveys (2006-2016)

Blessing J. Akombi; Kingsley E. Agho; Dafna Merom; Andre M. Renzaho; John J. Hall

Child malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa : a meta-analysis of demographic and health surveys (2006-2016)

Blessing J. Akombi
, Kingsley E. Agho
, Dafna Merom
, Andre M. Renzaho
, John J. Hall

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

313 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the highest levels of child malnutrition globally. Therefore, a critical look at the distribution of malnutrition within its sub-regions is required to identify the worst affected areas. This study provides a meta-analysis of the prevalence of malnutrition indicators (stunting, wasting and underweight) within four sub-regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (2006-2016) of 32 countries in sub-Saharan Africa were used. The countries were grouped into four subregions (East Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa and Central Africa), and a meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the prevalence of each malnutrition indicator within each of the sub-regions. Significant heterogeneity was detected among the various surveys (I2 >50%), hence a random effect model was used, and sensitivity analysis was performed, to examine the effects of outliers. Stunting was defined as HAZ<-2; wasting as WHZ<-2 and underweight as WAZ<-2. Results: Stunting was highest in Burundi (57.7%) and Malawi (47.1%) in East Africa; Niger (43.9%), Mali (38.3%), Sierra Leone (37.9%) and Nigeria (36.8%) in West Africa; Democratic Republic of Congo (42.7%) and Chad (39.9%) in Central Africa. Wasting was highest in Niger (18.0%), Burkina Faso (15.50%) and Mali (12.7%) in West Africa; Comoros (11.1%) and Ethiopia (8.70%) in East Africa; Namibia (6.2%) in Southern Africa; Chad (13.0%) and Sao Tome & Principle (10.5%) in Central Africa. Underweight was highest in Burundi (28.8%) and Ethiopia (25.2%) in East Africa; Niger (36.4%), Nigeria (28.7%), Burkina Faso (25.7%), Mali (25.0%) in West Africa; and Chad (28.8%) in Central Africa. Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition was highest within countries in East Africa and West Africa compared to the WHO Millennium development goals target for 2015. Appropriate nutrition interventions need to be prioritised in East Africa and West Africa if sub-Saharan Africa is to meet the WHO global nutrition target of improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition by 2025.

Original language	English
Article number	e0177338
Number of pages	11
Journal	PLoS One
Volume	12
Issue number	5
Publication status	Published - May 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Akombi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Open Access - Access Right Statement

© 2017 Akombi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 2 Zero Hunger

Keywords

Africa, Sub-Saharan
food security
health education
health surveys
malnutrition in children
nutrition

Cite this

@article{9006720028894befb59cf8fa38c492d5,

title = "Child malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa : a meta-analysis of demographic and health surveys (2006-2016)",

abstract = "Background: Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the highest levels of child malnutrition globally. Therefore, a critical look at the distribution of malnutrition within its sub-regions is required to identify the worst affected areas. This study provides a meta-analysis of the prevalence of malnutrition indicators (stunting, wasting and underweight) within four sub-regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (2006-2016) of 32 countries in sub-Saharan Africa were used. The countries were grouped into four subregions (East Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa and Central Africa), and a meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the prevalence of each malnutrition indicator within each of the sub-regions. Significant heterogeneity was detected among the various surveys (I2 >50\%), hence a random effect model was used, and sensitivity analysis was performed, to examine the effects of outliers. Stunting was defined as HAZ<-2; wasting as WHZ<-2 and underweight as WAZ<-2. Results: Stunting was highest in Burundi (57.7\%) and Malawi (47.1\%) in East Africa; Niger (43.9\%), Mali (38.3\%), Sierra Leone (37.9\%) and Nigeria (36.8\%) in West Africa; Democratic Republic of Congo (42.7\%) and Chad (39.9\%) in Central Africa. Wasting was highest in Niger (18.0\%), Burkina Faso (15.50\%) and Mali (12.7\%) in West Africa; Comoros (11.1\%) and Ethiopia (8.70\%) in East Africa; Namibia (6.2\%) in Southern Africa; Chad (13.0\%) and Sao Tome \& Principle (10.5\%) in Central Africa. Underweight was highest in Burundi (28.8\%) and Ethiopia (25.2\%) in East Africa; Niger (36.4\%), Nigeria (28.7\%), Burkina Faso (25.7\%), Mali (25.0\%) in West Africa; and Chad (28.8\%) in Central Africa. Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition was highest within countries in East Africa and West Africa compared to the WHO Millennium development goals target for 2015. Appropriate nutrition interventions need to be prioritised in East Africa and West Africa if sub-Saharan Africa is to meet the WHO global nutrition target of improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition by 2025.",

keywords = "Africa, Sub-Saharan, food security, health education, health surveys, malnutrition in children, nutrition",

author = "Akombi, \{Blessing J.\} and Agho, \{Kingsley E.\} and Dafna Merom and Renzaho, \{Andre M.\} and Hall, \{John J.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 Akombi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.",

year = "2017",

month = may,

language = "English",

volume = "12",

journal = "PLoS One",

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T1 - Child malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa : a meta-analysis of demographic and health surveys (2006-2016)

AU - Akombi, Blessing J.

AU - Agho, Kingsley E.

AU - Merom, Dafna

AU - Renzaho, Andre M.

AU - Hall, John J.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2017 Akombi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

PY - 2017/5

Y1 - 2017/5

N2 - Background: Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the highest levels of child malnutrition globally. Therefore, a critical look at the distribution of malnutrition within its sub-regions is required to identify the worst affected areas. This study provides a meta-analysis of the prevalence of malnutrition indicators (stunting, wasting and underweight) within four sub-regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (2006-2016) of 32 countries in sub-Saharan Africa were used. The countries were grouped into four subregions (East Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa and Central Africa), and a meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the prevalence of each malnutrition indicator within each of the sub-regions. Significant heterogeneity was detected among the various surveys (I2 >50%), hence a random effect model was used, and sensitivity analysis was performed, to examine the effects of outliers. Stunting was defined as HAZ<-2; wasting as WHZ<-2 and underweight as WAZ<-2. Results: Stunting was highest in Burundi (57.7%) and Malawi (47.1%) in East Africa; Niger (43.9%), Mali (38.3%), Sierra Leone (37.9%) and Nigeria (36.8%) in West Africa; Democratic Republic of Congo (42.7%) and Chad (39.9%) in Central Africa. Wasting was highest in Niger (18.0%), Burkina Faso (15.50%) and Mali (12.7%) in West Africa; Comoros (11.1%) and Ethiopia (8.70%) in East Africa; Namibia (6.2%) in Southern Africa; Chad (13.0%) and Sao Tome & Principle (10.5%) in Central Africa. Underweight was highest in Burundi (28.8%) and Ethiopia (25.2%) in East Africa; Niger (36.4%), Nigeria (28.7%), Burkina Faso (25.7%), Mali (25.0%) in West Africa; and Chad (28.8%) in Central Africa. Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition was highest within countries in East Africa and West Africa compared to the WHO Millennium development goals target for 2015. Appropriate nutrition interventions need to be prioritised in East Africa and West Africa if sub-Saharan Africa is to meet the WHO global nutrition target of improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition by 2025.

AB - Background: Sub-Saharan Africa has one of the highest levels of child malnutrition globally. Therefore, a critical look at the distribution of malnutrition within its sub-regions is required to identify the worst affected areas. This study provides a meta-analysis of the prevalence of malnutrition indicators (stunting, wasting and underweight) within four sub-regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: Cross-sectional data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (2006-2016) of 32 countries in sub-Saharan Africa were used. The countries were grouped into four subregions (East Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa and Central Africa), and a meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the prevalence of each malnutrition indicator within each of the sub-regions. Significant heterogeneity was detected among the various surveys (I2 >50%), hence a random effect model was used, and sensitivity analysis was performed, to examine the effects of outliers. Stunting was defined as HAZ<-2; wasting as WHZ<-2 and underweight as WAZ<-2. Results: Stunting was highest in Burundi (57.7%) and Malawi (47.1%) in East Africa; Niger (43.9%), Mali (38.3%), Sierra Leone (37.9%) and Nigeria (36.8%) in West Africa; Democratic Republic of Congo (42.7%) and Chad (39.9%) in Central Africa. Wasting was highest in Niger (18.0%), Burkina Faso (15.50%) and Mali (12.7%) in West Africa; Comoros (11.1%) and Ethiopia (8.70%) in East Africa; Namibia (6.2%) in Southern Africa; Chad (13.0%) and Sao Tome & Principle (10.5%) in Central Africa. Underweight was highest in Burundi (28.8%) and Ethiopia (25.2%) in East Africa; Niger (36.4%), Nigeria (28.7%), Burkina Faso (25.7%), Mali (25.0%) in West Africa; and Chad (28.8%) in Central Africa. Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition was highest within countries in East Africa and West Africa compared to the WHO Millennium development goals target for 2015. Appropriate nutrition interventions need to be prioritised in East Africa and West Africa if sub-Saharan Africa is to meet the WHO global nutrition target of improving maternal, infant and young child nutrition by 2025.

KW - Africa, Sub-Saharan

KW - food security

KW - health education

KW - health surveys

KW - malnutrition in children

KW - nutrition

UR - http://handle.westernsydney.edu.au:8081/1959.7/uws:40214

M3 - Article

C2 - 28494007

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 12

JO - PLoS One

JF - PLoS One

IS - 5

M1 - e0177338

ER -

Child malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa : a meta-analysis of demographic and health surveys (2006-2016)

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Open Access - Access Right Statement

UN SDGs

Keywords

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Cite this