UNDERWEIGHT AND MORBIDITY STATUS AMONG UNDER FIVE YEARS CHILDREN IN SURABAYA

Abstract

Under five years old children is one of the group that
vulnerable to under nutrition, moreover this age
group also susceptible to infectious disease due to
their immunity and their activity related to exposure
of infectious disease. To achieve optimal growth, a
children must obtain adequate dietary intake,
optimal care practice that include appropriate
feeding practices and less frequent of infectious
disease (Black et al, 2008). Inadequate food intake
to Undernutrition among under five children
become important issue since it can affect short
term and also long term that go beyond child hood
(Neufeld and Osendarp, 2014). Indonesia Basic
Health Survey revealed there was fluctuation of
underweight prevalence from 18.4% in 2007,
decreased to 17.9% in 2010 and increased to 19.6%
in 2013 (Indonesia Basic Health Survey, 2013). There
is a strong evidence that undernutrition that
occurred during the first two years of life contribute
to the increasing risk of non communicable disease
in the later life (Victora et al, 2008). Communicable
disease is one of the factors that contribute to
nutritional status, particularly underweight in
children since underweight is the indicator that
reflect an acute disturbance of nutritional status.
Communicable diseases that often occur in children
are diarrhea and upper respiratory infecti on. In
developing countries, diarrhea contributes to the
childhood morbidity and mortality, as it estimated
that 1.5 million child die to diarrhea per year (Roy et
al, 2011). There is a bidirectional relationship of
diarrhea and malnutrition in children with the
mechanism of diarrhea episodes lead to anorexia,
absorptive function impairment, the damage of
mucosal and the increase need of nutrients (Brown,
2003). Malnutrition also increase the incidence and
severity of acute respiratory infection through
mechanism of immunity impairment, particularly in
cellular immunity (Bhutta et al, 1998). This study
aimed to analyze the association of underweight and
morbidity of diarrhea and acute respiratory infection
in under five years old children.