Time to recovery from severe acute malnutrition and its predictors: a multicentre retrospective follow-up study in Amhara region, north-west Ethiopia

Adhanom Gebreegziabher Baraki, Temesgen Yihunie Akalu, Haileab Fekadu Wolde, Wubet Worku Takele, Worku Nigussu Mamo, Behailu Derseh, Hanna Demelash Desyibelew, Abel Fekadu Dadi, Adhanom Gebreegziabher Baraki, Temesgen Yihunie Akalu, Haileab Fekadu Wolde, Wubet Worku Takele, Worku Nigussu Mamo, Behailu Derseh, Hanna Demelash Desyibelew, Abel Fekadu Dadi

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the time to recovery from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and its predictors in selected public health institutions in Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia.

Design: An institution-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted using data extracted from 1690 patient cards from September 2012 to November 2016.

Setting: Selected government health institutions in the Amhara region, Ethiopia.

Participants: Children treated in therapeutic feeding units for SAM were included.

Outcome measures: Time to recovery from SAM.

Results: One thousand and fifty children have recovered from SAM, 62.13% (95% CI 59.8% to 64.5%). The median time to recovery was 16 days (IQR=11-28). Female gender (adjusted HR (AHR)=0.81, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.98), oedematous malnutrition (AHR=0.74 95% CI 0.59 to 0.93), pneumonia (AHR=0.66, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.83), tuberculosis (AHR=0.53, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.77), HIV/AIDS (AHR=0.47, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.79), anaemia (AHR=0.73, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.89) and receiving vitamin A (AHR=1.43, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.82) were notably associated with time to recovery.

Conclusions: The time to recovery in this study was acceptable but the proportion of recovery was far below the minimum standard. Special emphasis should be given to the prevention and treatment of comorbidities besides the therapeutic feeding. Supplementing vitamin A would also help to improve the recovery rate.

Keywords: Amhara region; severe acute malnutrition; time to recovery.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Kaplan-Meier survival estimate for time to recovery among children treated for severe acute malnutrition (SAM in Amhara region, subgrouped by HIV status (2016)).

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