Nutritional status of children under 5 years old visiting the Institute of Nutrition in 2025

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 on 224 children aged from 0 to 59 months and their mothers who visited the Department of Pediatric Nutrition Consultation at the National Institute of Nutrition. Anthropometric measurements, including weight, height, or length were taken to assess the children's nutritional status. The results showed that the prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting was 32.6, 31.2, and 17.4%, respectively. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 2.7%. In total, 49.1% of the children had at least one form of malnutrition; 11.6% had stunting alone; 19.2% had both stunting and underweight; and 7.6% presented with all three forms of malnutrition. These findings indicate a high burden of malnutrition among children attending the department, emphasizing the need for early and individualized nutritional interventions during the first 1,000 days of life.