EC Microbiology

Malnutrition is a major public health problem and the effects are worsened by conflict and displacement. This is vulnerable due to a lack of access to basic resources such as food, healthcare, and sanitation. The aim of this study is to assess nutritional status and its risk factors. This study was conducted in Somaliland, targeting the internally displaced persons (IDP) population. A cross-sectional design was employed. The sample included 392 children, Data were collected using a structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Epi Data version 3.1 and SPSS version 26. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify associations, with statistical significance at p < 0.05. A total of 392 participants responded, with 97.3% response rate. Children aged 12-23 months showed vulnerable to stunting (AOR 1.6, p = 0.049). Those with illiterate mothers faced a fivefold increased risk of stunting (AOR 4.8, p < 0.001), while children not receiving antenatal care had double the risk (AOR 2.0, p = 0.002). For underweight status, children of illiterate mothers had a significantly higher risk (AOR 3.9, p = 0.003), and those whose mothers received no prenatal care were also at risk (AOR 1.8, p = 0.014). Wasting was significantly associated with maternal education, with illiterate mothers having an AOR of 2.5 (p = 0.046), and children of mothers lacking antenatal care were at increased risk (AOR 1.6, p = 0.036). The study reveals significant malnutrition among children under five in Hargeisa, Somaliland, particularly among those with illiterate mothers and lacking antenatal care.

 Keywords: Internally Displaced Population; Somaliland; Nutritional Status

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