Nutritional status and risk of infection among Ethiopian children.

This is a prospective study on the possible association between protein energy malnutrition and risk of infection in a pastoralist and in an agricultural community in southern Ethiopia. A total of 425 children under 5 years of age were observed for 8 months. In general, malnourished children had a significantly higher incidence of diarrhoeal disease, even after controlling for possible confounding social, economic, and environmental effects, as well as for past history of illness. However, the extent of this association between nutritional state and morbidity differed between the two study populations. Thus, only wasting was associated with increased incidence of diarrhoeal disease among the pastoralist, whereas wasting, stunting, low weight for age, and low arm circumference all showed such an association in the agricultural community. Demographic and socio-economic characteristics as well as differences in the prevalence of stunting may explain this discrepancy.