the study of the prevalence of malnutrition and its related factors among zero to 59 month old children in birgand rurel areas

the purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of malnutrition and related factors that may affect the nutritional status of 0 to 59 month old children in the rural areas covered by the birjand district health network. a total of 626 children were selected by random sampling. data were collected using a questionnaires and face-to-face interviews with the mothers and by measuring weight and height of te children. the nutritional status of the children determination was based on the z-score (cut-off poing under-2sd from median reference population). based on the z-score and under 2-standard deviation from median of nchs in rural areas of birjand, 18.5%, 40.1% and 3% of children were suffering from past-and-present, and present, malnutrition, respectively. therefore the highest prevalence of malnutrition was related to the past-malnutrition and the stunting was the main problem. the chi2 test showed a statistically significant relationship between the children&apos;s past malnutrition and fathers litarcy (p<0.001), also between the children&apos;s past and present malnutrition and mother&apos;s literacy (p<0.021) and past malnutrition (p<0.001). there was also significant relationship between, father&apos;s main occupation, per-capita income (p<0.0001, p<0.025 respectively) and children&apos;s past malnutrition in the cases under study. in this research, relationship between sex and prevalence of malnutrition in both peresent-past and past malnutrition was meaningful, (p<0.024, p<0.017 respectively). this study did not show a significant relationship between nutritional independent variables and nutritional status of the children.