Prevalence and Predictors of Under Nutrition among Under-Five Children in Peshawar District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Background: Malnutrition is a pressing public health crisis in Pakistan that requires immediate attention. The prevalence of malnutrition is on the rise due to various factors including social and economic factors.Objectives: To find out the prevalence and causative factors of under nutrition in district Peshawar.Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2022 and December 2022, in the Peshawar district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A sample size of 400 children under the age of five years using a multistage stratified cluster sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data, Anthropometric measures were taken to determine the children's nutritional status. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 23 for Windows.Results: The study found that 39.3% of children were suffering from stunting, 16% from wasting, and 22.3% from underweight. Under nutrition was significantly associated with factors such as urban/rural areas, parents' education, maternal factors, family income, gender, and weight at birth (p-value < 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference found between family type, maternal television watching, and under nutrition. The study also revealed that children aged =5 months were more likely to be undernourished than older children.Conclusion: Undernourishment is a critical issue in district Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The prevalence of undernourishment is alarmingly high in rural areas as compared to urban areas.Keywords: Anthropometric, Stunting, Under nutrition, Underweight, Wasting.