nity health centres: A cross sectional survey

Poor understanding of malnutrition burden is a common reason for not prioritizing the 23 care of small and nutritionally at-risk infants aged under-six months (infants u6m). We aimed to 24 estimate the anthropometric deficit prevalence in infants u6m attending health centres, using the 25 Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF); and to assess the overlap of different individual 26 indicators. We undertook a two-week survey of all infants u6m visiting each of 18 health centres in 27 two zones of the Oromia region, Ethiopia. We measured weight, length, and MUAC (Mid upper 28 arm circumference); and calculated weight-for-length (WLZ), length-for-age (LAZ), and weight-for29 age z-scores (WAZ). Overall, 21.7% (95% CI: 19.2; 24.3) of infants u6m presented CIAF and of these, 30 10.7% (95% CI: 8.93; 12.7) had multiple anthropometric deficits. Low MUAC overlapped with 47.5% 31 (95% CI: 38.0; 57.3), 43.8% (95% CI: 34.9; 53.1), and 42.6% (95% CI: 36.3; 49.2) of the stunted, wasted 32 and CIAF prevalence, respectively. Underweight overlapped with 63.4% (95% CI: 53.6; 72.2), 52.7% 33 (95% CI: 43.4; 61.7), and 59.6% (95% CI: 53.1; 65.9) of the stunted, wasted and CIAF prevalence, 34 respectively. Anthropometric deficits, single and multiple, are prevalent in infants attending health 35 centres. WAZ overlaps more with other forms of anthropometric deficits than MUAC. 36