Study of Factors Associated with the Occurrence of Severe Acute Malnutrition in Children Aged 6 to 59 Months in the Hina Health District, Far North Region of Cameroon

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) remains a major public health issue in developing countries, particularly affecting children under five years of age. This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with the occurrence of SAM among children aged 6 to 59 months in the Hina Health District. A case-control study was conducted from May 15 to June 30, 2023, involving 65 mother-child pairs (malnourished and well-nourished children) recruited from health facilities. Sociodemographic, clinical, nutritional, and hygiene-related data were collected using a standardized questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS Statistics 26 and Epi-Info. Statistical associations were assessed through multivariate logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The results revealed that sociodemographic factors such as lack of maternal education (P < 0.001; OR = 19.5), child age between 12 and 23 months (P < 0.001; OR = 7.77), female sex (P < 0.001; OR = 11.40), and household size greater than 10 (P = 0.001; OR = 7.09), as well as clinical factors such as home delivery (P < 0.001; OR = 6.21) and recent diarrhea (P < 0.001; OR = 10.13), were significantly associated with SAM. Nutritional and hygiene practices, including the use of plain maize or millet porridge as complementary feeding (P < 0.001; OR = 7.50) and lack of maternal knowledge about dietary diversification (P < 0.001; OR = 28.88), also showed strong associations. In conclusion, this study highlights key sociodemographic, clinical, and nutritional determinants that should be targeted through preventive interventions to reduce the burden of severe acute malnutrition in this health district of Cameroon.