title: Famine in Ethiopia 1983-1985: kwashiorkor and marasmus in four regions.
abstract: Parts of southern Ethiopia were form 1983 to 1985 affected by drought and famine. This study describes the prevalence of marasmus and kwashiorkor in four drought-affected regions: Bale, Sidamo, Gamu Gofa and southern Shoa. An analysis of 37,511 children in the 1-5 year age group representing 212 communities has been performed. The study demonstrates that both marasmus and kwashiorkor are facets of drought. The epidemiologies of kwashiorkor and marasmus differ: marasmus is the most common form of acute malnutrition in all areas, while kwashiorkor is found in a limited number of communities only. These latter communities have a subsistence farming economy, most often in ensete-growing areas. In the lowland semi-arid regions, which have an agro-pastoralist economy, kwashiorkor is virtually absent. These epidemiological findings are discussed in relation to different theories of the aetiology and pathogenesis of kwashiorkor.
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005002:Ethiopia; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007732:Kwashiorkor / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011891:Rain; D013217:Starvation / Q000150:complications*