Nutritional assessment of children admitted at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of children aged 1 month to 14 years during admission and discharge at Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methods: A prospective descriptive study design was employed, utilizing structured and nonstructured questionnaires to collect data. A total of 400 children, aged 1 month to 14 years, were included in the study. Anthropometric measurements were conducted to determine their nutritional status. Parents were interviewed to gather information on socio-demographic characteristics, clinical history, and feeding patterns of the children. Descriptive analysis was performed using SPSS software version 23.0. Chi-square tests were utilized to identify differences, while odds ratios (ORs) were employed to assess and quantify associations between categorical outcomes. ORs were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The study included 400 children, consisting of 245 (61.3%) males and 155 (38.8%) females. During admission, the assessment of nutritional status revealed that 301 (75.3%) of the children were classified as normal, 99 (24.7%) undernourished. On discharge 228 (57.0%) normal, 172 (43.0%) undernourished. Gender was found to be significantly associated with undernutrition during admission. Females were 2.376 times more likely to be exposed to undernutrition compared to males, with a 95% CI for the OR ranging from 1.497 to 3.773.

Conclusion: The prevalence of undernutrition was significantly higher on discharge than during admission. Therefore, providing high-quality nursing care is crucial for children admitted to the hospital.