title: Prevalence of malnutrition among pre-school children in South-east Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malnutrition can be defined as a state of nutrition where the weight for age, height for age and weight for height indices are below -2 Z-score of the NCHS reference. It has posed a great economic burden to the developing world.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study is to assess the prevalence of malnutrition among pre-school children in Abakiliki in Ebonyi state of Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional studies that assess the prevalence of malnutrition and associated factors among children aged 1-5 years attending nursery and primary schools. Nutritional assessment was done using anthropometry and clinical examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 616 children aged one to 5 years were enrolled into this study. Three hundred and sixty-seven (59.6%) were males while 249 (40.4%) were females. Sixty of the 616 children (9.7%) had acute malnutrition based on WHZ-score. Moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) was present in 33 children (5.3%) while 27 (4.4%) had severe acute malnutrition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of global and severe acute malnutrition using z-score is 9.7% and 4.4% respectively while that of stunting is 9.9% with a male preponderance.
authors.affiliation: Federal Teaching Hospital Abakiliki, Abakiliki, Nigeria. Chukwuka07@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Pius C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Manyike
authors.affiliation: Department of pediatrics, University of Nigeria/University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku- Ozalla, Enugu State, Nigeria. josephat.chinawa@unn.edu.ng.
authors.forename: Josephat M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Chinawa
authors.affiliation: Department of pediatrics, University of Nigeria/University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku- Ozalla, Enugu State, Nigeria. zionagoz@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Agozie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ubesie
authors.affiliation: Department of pediatrics, University of Nigeria/University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku- Ozalla, Enugu State, Nigeria. Herbert.obu@unn.edu.ng.
authors.forename: Herbert A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Obu
authors.affiliation: Department of pediatrics, University of Nigeria/University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku- Ozalla, Enugu State, Nigeria. odetoyintola@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Odutola I
authors.initials: OI
authors.lastname: Odetunde
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, University of Nigeria/University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku- Ozalla, Enugu State, Nigeria. awoerechinawa@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Awoere T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Chinawa
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution