Factors Associated with Malnutrition Among Under-Five Rohingya Refugee Children in CoxsBazar, Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study.

ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence and determinants of malnutrition among under-five Rohingya refugee children living in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh. DesignCommunity-based cross-sectional study. SettingRohingya refugee camps, Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh. ParticipantsA total of 256 children aged 6-59 months residing in refugee camps were enrolled through convenience sampling. Primary outcome measuresStunting, wasting, underweight, and overweight, measured using WHO standards. MethodsIt was a cross-sectional study with a 256-sample size. Respondents were selected by convenience sampling. The target population was the Rohingya people of Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh. A well-designed and pretested set of structured questionnaires was used to collect the information. The total study duration was 3 months of the period following the approval of the protocol. Informed consent was taken from the participants, and ethical issues were ensured by the Declaration of Helsinki. Data were analyzed by using SPSS. ResultsThe prevalence of stunting, wasting, underweight, and overweight were 34.4%, 17.6%, 18.9%, and 6.9%, respectively. Age was inversely associated with stunting (AOR=0.97, 95% CI: 0.95-0.99, p=0.006). Male children had higher odds of wasting compared to females (AOR=2.03, 95% CI: 1.34-3.07, p=0.001). Children from poor households were more likely to be stunted (AOR=2.42, 95% CI: 1.31-4.48) and wasted (AOR=2.82, 95% CI: 1.23-6.47). Illiteracy among parents significantly increases the risks of malnutrition. ConclusionsMalnutrition among Rohingya refugee children under five is alarmingly high. Both biological and socioeconomic determinants significantly influence nutritional status. Urgent multi-sectoral interventions addressing food security, parental education, and sanitation are required.