NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND SEVERITY OF DIARRHOEA AMONG PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN IN RURAL NIGERIA

Abstract

The influence of pre-existing malnutrition on the severity of diarrhoea was investigated by assessing attack-rate and duration of diarrhoea in children aged between 6 months and 32 months at the beginning of the rainy season in Malumfashi village area, northern Nigeria. There were 1·4 attacks of diarrhoea per child during the 3 month rainy season and children spent 10·5% of the time with diarrhoea. The frequency of diarrhoea was not increased in underweight (<75% weight/age) or stunted (<90% height/age) children, but those who were wasted (<80% weight/height) experienced 47% more episodes of diarrhoea than those who were not wasted. However, pre-existing malnutrition affected the duration of diarrhoea, which was 33% longer in underweight children, 37% longer in stunted children, and 79% longer in wasted children.