Investigating the Prevalence and Associated Factors of Underweight Children (Preschoolers aged 2-5 years) Parrharri (Rural area of District Hazara), Pakistan

Abstract

Malnutrition poses a significant public health challenge, particularly among children residing in rural areas. It is imperative to address this issue to enable public health professionals to devise interventions effectively. The research focuses on investigating the prevalence and underlying factors contributing to underweight children (aged 2-5 years) in Parrhari (Rural area of district), Pakistan. Employing a qualitative cross-sectional approach, the study gathered data from interviews conducted among 40 respondents and BMI calculated by measuring height and weight of children. The research findings were 13.3% prevalence of underweight with a sample size of 158 calculated using OPENEPI calculator. The interviews were conducted for in-depth identification of factors contributing to the calculated prevalence of underweight in the area. The factors mainly affecting the underweight prevalence were healthy Eating habits, Appropriate Breastfeeding practices, more physical activity, elder’s guidance in a joint family system and clean drinking water with natural environment. A thematic approach was used for qualitative data analysis. All the participants belonged to the same rural area and were “lower-middle class”. The study shows that all the factors above are highly related to under-weight’s prevalence especially the breastfeeding practices. However, more in-depth study can be done in the future with more time limit and facilities to hike the mountains and cover the people living in higher a region as well. Malnutrition mainly includes several categories such as underweight, stunting, wasting etc. and this research is done on “Under-weight”. However, more research work can be done on other categories of malnutrition as well. The findings of this study can be helpful in areas with higher prevalence of underweight or problems related to malnutrition as this study has enlightened some factors and healthy habits for healthy growth of a child. The results of this study and the factors identified can be compared with those having higher prevalence of underweight among children. It will help in understanding the healthier habits necessary for a child’s growth.