MALNUTRITION OF CHILDREN IN SIKASSO (MALI) - PREVALENCE AND SOCIOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS

Background: Malnutrition of children is a major public health problem in many African countries. Despite a relatively favourable geographica l situation, the prevalence of malnutrition is high in the Sikasso reg ion (Mali). Methods: Survey repeated annually during 5 years, to a sam ple of 491 families living in Sikasso. The determinants of wasting and stunting were analysed using logistic regression. Results: The preval ence of stunting was about 25%. Prevalence of wasting was about 12%, w hich is very high, and had been increasing in the past years. No stron g associations with socio-economic factors were observed for wasting. Stunting was strongly associated with the education level of both pare nts, and with the family assets.