Annual Research Symposium 2025; November 07, 2025, Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction: The prevalence of undernutrition continues to pose a problem for many of the children under-2-years in Sri Lanka, despite good maternal and child health figures.The first 1000 days of life is a critical period for neurological and cognitive development; therefore, failure to meet these demands could have ongoing implications.While household food insecurity has increased due to the economic crisis, there is very little known in terms of how this is impacting complementary feeding (CF), especially while they are unwell, when specific nutritional interventions may be able to reverse their growth faltering.Objective: To assess the percentage of undernutrition and factors associated with undernutrition in infants and young children presenting to a tertiary care centre.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out at Colombo South Teaching Hospital (CSTH), with 246 children aged 6-24 months.Anthropometric measurements were used to evaluate nutritional status, while CF practices and socio-demographic variables were assessed via an interviewer-administered questionnaire.Descriptive statistics and chi-square testing were used for data analysis.Results: Study revealed 14.6% were underweight,18.3%-stunted,and 39.3%-wasted.Both stunting and wasting were significantly associated with poor maternal education (p<0.05) and lower household income (p<0.01).Inadequate CF to account for time, particularly inadequate quantity, was a significant contributing factor that doubled odds of underweight (Odds-ratio [OR]=3.2),stunting (OR=4.5),and wasting (OR=2.1).85% continued breast feeding beyond infancy, contributing to undernutrition due to inadequate complementary feeding.Meal frequency and food consistency were mostly adequate, but only 76.8% of children met dietary diversity guidelines.During illness, 78% offered extra meals, however few considered energydense (21%) or preferred food (23%).Conclusions: Although feeding frequency was adequate, there were deficits in food quantity, diversity and illness-responsive feeding.Interventions such as maternal education for lower income families are important to improve nutrition in this age group.
DOI: 10.4038/jpgim.8627
Authors: Himani Molligoda, Enoka Corea
Language: English
Subfield: Nutrition and Dietetics
Field: Nursing
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7127954580