Abstract:
In many developing countries, severe acute malnutrition among children
remains a major public health concern. Ethiopia is one of the countries with highest under five
child mortality rate, with malnutrition underlying to 28% of all children deaths. However, in
some parts of Ethiopia particularly in study area, there was no research carried out on the
predictors and treatment outcomes of severe acute malnutrition.
Objectives: - The aim of this study was to assess treatment outcomes of severe acute
malnutrition and associated factors among under-five children admitted to Belegesgar primary
Hospital, fromMay13/05/2018 to August 13/08/2021.
Methods: Retrospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 368 under-five children with severe
acute malnutrition were selected using systematic random sampling technique. Pretested checklist was
utilized to collect data. Two nurses were collect information from the supervisor's supervisory records.
Frequency distribution of treatment outcomes were calculated using descriptive statistics. Logistic
regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with treatment outcomes of severe acute
malnutrition, significance level p<0.05, was used to identify association of the treatment outcomes.
Results: From a total of 366, severe acute malnutrition, 63.7% were non-edematous. Treatment
outcomes of children with SAM were 72.7 %( 95%; CI: 67.8-77.2%) recovered from severe acute
malnutrition (73.2% edematous and 72.3% were non-edematous), 18.4 %( 17.6% edematous and
19.2% were non-edematous) died, 4.8 %( 4.2% edematous and 5.4% were non-edematous) referred
and the rest 4.0 %( 4.9% edematous and 3.1% were non-edematous) defaulted their treatment.
Vaccination status of children (AOR=3.95, 95% CI: 1.572, 9.93) which was positive relation with
recovered outcome and children admitted with kwashiorkor (AOR=1.89, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.42),
Tuberculosis (AOR =2.88, 95 % CI: 1.02- 8.12).HIV/AIDS, children who hadn’t HIV/AIDS (AOR
=3.19, 95 % CI: 1.12-9.05) were direct relation with not recovered outcomes, and were significantly
associated with the treatment outcomes(either recovered or not recovered).
Conclusions: - The recovery and death rates of SAM in the hospitals were in the unacceptable range.
Tuberculosis and HIV /AIDS co morbidities were statistically significant factors that hinder recovery
rate of malnourished children. All concerned bodies (Health care provider of Belegesgar Hospital,
Management members and manager) should give attention to co-morbid disease like HIV/AIDS, TB
which highly negative consequence on treatment outcomes. There was no difference between non edematous and edematous cases.
