in partial fulfil]ment of the - MSpace - University of Manitoba

Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Malnutrition, particularly Protein-Energy Malnutrition (peì4)
, is a
prevalent nutritional problem of children in the wor1d, especially in
developing countries. Based on the data provided by large-sca1e surveys
carried out between 1963 and 1972, Bengoa (974) estimated that in Ëatin
Àmerica the proportion of children with either severe or moderate malnutrition
was about 19%, in Àfrica about 26% , and in Àsia about 31%.
Economic, agricultural, medical, geographical, educational, social and
cultural factors could play a role in the etiorogy of pEM, that is,
national poverty, and family poverty, inadequate food production and
concentration of cash crops, high prevalence of infections (diarrhea,
measles, tuberculosis, whooping cough, malaria, intestinal parasites)
and inadequate health facilities, unproductive soil, ignorance or illiteracy,
poor food distribution and absence of family planning, and faulty
feeding habits of young children and inequable intrafamilial food distribution
(,.ie11if f e, 1968).
À number of nutritional status assessment surveys have been carried
out in developing countries in order to investigate the underlying
causes of PEM in children (oe walt, 1983; Bhuiya et al., 1gg6; Hernandez
et al., 1974; Morley, 1968).
An anthropometric survey of children under five years of age Þ¡as
carried out in sidama Awraja, a sub-province in lhe soulhern part of
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