Identifying the factors causing malnutrition and its impact on mortality among under-five Bangladeshi children

Background. Nutritional status is the best indicator of global well-being. Childhood malnutrition is a major public health problem among Bangladeshi children. Objectives. The main objectives of this study are to: (i) determine the prevalence of malnutrition among under-five (U5) children; (ii) assess the association between malnutrition and selected factors; (iii) determine the high-risk factors for malnutrition and its impact on U5 mortality. Material and methods. The data was taken from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2014. Chi-square analysis was performed to explore the association between malnutrition and selected potential factors. Moreover, logistic regression (LR) was also performed to determine the factors associated with malnutrition and its impact on U5 mortality based on the p-value and odds ratio (OR) along with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results. The prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight were 37.1%, 14.7% and 33%, respectively. Most of the selected factors were found to be highly significant (p < 0.05), which were performed via chi-square analysis. In the LR model, it was found that place of residence, region, mother’s working status, mother’s education, mother’s age at first birth, wealth index and toilet facilities were the factors mostly responsible for child malnutrition. Our study also showed that wasting and underweight have a significant impact on U5 mortality. Conclusions. It is recommended that educating mothers, delaying a mother’s age for first birth, improving sanitation facilities, reducing poverty and creating health-related services are essential to improve a child’s health and nutritional status. As a result, U5 mortality will be reduced in Bangladesh.