Child malnutrition high in N-E

Shirley WIJESINGHE

Child malnutrition is considerably high in the North and East Provinces and has reached 46 percent out of a national average of 29 percent, a Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) revealed.

In two provinces the prevalence of malnutrition is significantly greater among boys, (50 percent ), than among girls (42 percent). This gender differential is in sharp contrast to the malnutrition pattern in the rest of the country, where malnutrition rates are very similar among boys and girls.

The age pattern of malnutrition shows that children who are underweight reaches a peak in the age group 12-35 months, and then tapers of slightly to 36-59 months. This age limit is similar to the rest of the country, according to the survey.

The differences in malnutrition in urban and rural areas are small, varying by one percentage point. The survey found that the lack of maternal education is strongly associated with the lower levels of malnutrition.

The prevalence of child malnutrition among uneducated mothers is 63 percent. As the education level of mothers rises, the prevalence of child malnutrition declines to 54 percent for primary educated mothers, 42 percent among secondary educated mothers and 36 percent among tertiary educated mothers.

This pattern is consistent with evidence from the rest of the country which also shows a favourable association between maternal education and child malnutrition.

At the district level, within the Northern and Eastern provinces, Batticaloa 53 percent and Vavuniya 51 percent shows the worst levels of child malnutrition. The child malnutrition in Trincomalee is 45 percent, Ampara 44 percent and Jaffna 43 percent is the best among the Northern and Eastern provinces .