Abstract
Objectives:
to describe the prevalence of malnutrition (underweight, low height, and overweight) in children aged six to 59 months and its spatial distribution in the city of Beira, Mozambique.
Methods:
an exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted between October and November 2019, involving 407 children aged six to 59 months. The sample size calculation was based on the prevalence of height-for-age deficit. Anthropometric data were analyzed using Anthro version and the prevalence of malnutrition was presented through thematic maps generated in Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS).
Results:
the main findings revealed a prevalence of 27.0% for low height/age, 7.9% for underweight/height, and 4.7% for overweight.
Conclusions:
the spatial distribution highlighted that both urban and peri-urban areas of the city showed similar prevalence rates for the three forms of malnutrition. The prevalence of malnutrition in Beira is high, with deficit height/age being the most significant expression, while overweight is diffusely distributed.
Key words
Malnutrition; Obesity; Child; Geographic information systems
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