RISK FACTORS OF MALNUTRITION AMONG LESS THAN FIVE IN MOSUL CITY

Background: Malnutrition in children under the age of five considered one of the most serious health problems in the world, particularly in countries with low and middle incomes. It is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality, delayed physical growth, delayed cognitive development, and lower productivity in later life. Objectives: Is to analyze the risk factors for malnutrition among children under the age of five in Mosul/Iraq. Methods: The study is an observational, descriptive, case control study. It was conducted between the 5th of August 2025 to the 15th of December 2025 at Ibn Sina Teaching Hospital in Mosul city. The study included 100 patients divided into two groups (50 cases and 50 controls). The questionnaire was composed from two parts. The first part related to family risk factors, while the second part for child risk factors. Results: The mean age ± standard deviation of the study participants is 13.32 ± 7.30 months. Male: Female ratio was 1.127:1. Statistically significant difference between them regarding their history of having more than one child with malnutrition (P value < 0.001), mother educational level (P value < 0.001), family socioeconomic state (P value <0.001), and family residence (P value < 0.001). Moreover, statistically significant difference between them regarding their type of feeding (P value <0.001) and presence of past medical condition (P value <0.001). Conclusion: This study established that both maternal and patient related factors contributed to the risk of malnutrition among children aged less than five years. According to the current study's findings, having another child with malnutrition, poverty, poor educational level of mother, rural residence; as well as, depending on bottle or mixed feeding and the presence of past medical condition significantly linked to malnutrition.