Prevalence of Anaemia and Malnutrition in Children ≤ 5 Years of Age with Different Feeding Habits in Some Conflict Hit Zones of Fako Division in the South West Region of Cameroon: A Cross-Sectional Study on Roles of Nutritional Status

The risk of malnutrition and anaemia in the first 5 years of life is still a severe public health problem. Addressing the influence of complementary feeding practice of mothers on nutritional status of children may be an important approach towards reducing the burden of child malnutrition and other health challenges, such as anaemia. Data on different infant feeding habits and its influence on the growth and health of children under five years are limited. The main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of infant feeding practices on the occurrence of malnutrition, anaemia and haematological profiles. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2016 to August 2018. A total of 1227 children ≤ 5 years of age were recruited. Socio-demographic factors and the different feeding habits of the children were assessed by the use of semi-structured questionnaire. Nutritional status was assessed by the use of anthropometric measurements and an auto haematology analyser was used to measure haematological parameters. Anaemia was classified based on the haemoglobin level measured according to WHO standards. The prevalence of exclusive breast feeding was 22.6%, mixed feeding 60.1% and 17.3% of the children were not breastfed at all. The prevalence of malnutrition and anaemia was 32.6% and 77.3% respectively. The prevalence of anaemia was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in children with mixed feeding (80.5%) and was lowest for children who were exclusively breast fed (67.5%). Younger age, single parents, and parents with no formal education were associated with increased odds of anaemia in the children. Exclusive breast feeding should be encouraged in children up to 6 months of age.