TITLE:
Risk Factors of Malnutrition among Karen Children in Chiang Mai, Thailand
AUTHORS:
Sukon Prasitwattanaseree, Chatpat Kongpun, Sakorn Pornprasert, Preeyanoot Intapat, Suttipong Kawilapat, Patrinee Traisathit
KEYWORDS:
Iron Deficiency Anaemia, Karen Hill Tribe Children, Consumption Behaviours, Knowledge, Belief
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Statistics,
Vol.6 No.5,
September
22,
2016
ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to
determine the risk factors of malnutrition and its association with iron
deficiency anaemia (IDA) among Karen hill tribe children. We conducted a study
on blood samples from children from Baan Yang Poa School, Chiang Mai, Thailand
aged between 9 and 15 years old. Of 193 children, 31 (16.1%) had malnutrition
and 12 (6.2%) had IDA. Children who had at least five family members were found
to have a significantly higher risk of malnutrition (P = 0.005), a reflection
of the importance of socioeconomic factors in the problem of malnutrition. We
also found that malnutrition was not associated with IDA although the
assessment of the association of malnutrition and other types of anaemia is
still of interest.