Prevalence of Malnutrition and Contributing Factors in Children With Cerebral Palsy in Malawi: A Case‐Control Study
7 affiliations
- 1Amsterdam UMC, location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Centre for Global Child Health, Emma Children's hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- 2Department of Family Medicine, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.
- 3Emergency Nutrition Network (ENN), Kidlington, UK.
- 4Department of Physiotherapy, Mangochi District Hospital, Mangochi, Malawi.
- 5Department of nutrition, Mangochi District Hospital, Mangochi, Malawi.
- 6Department of Global Health, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam UMC, Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- 7Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Blantyre, Malawi.
Abstract
Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are at increased risk of malnutrition, yet no population-level data exist for this group in Malawi. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of undernutrition among children with CP in Malawi compared to peers without CP, and to explore contributing factors. This cross-sectional case-control study was conducted in Mangochi District, Malawi. A total of 260 children aged 2-18 years with clinician-confirmed CP were enroled alongside 259 age- and sex-matched controls. Nutritional status was assessed using standard anthropometric measures. Feeding difficulties and household food security were captured using existing tools. Linear regression examined factors associated with weight-for-age (WAZ) and BMI-for-age z-scores (BMIZ). Children with CP had significantly worse nutritional status across all anthropometric indicators compared to controls. Stunting (90.9% vs. 45.6%), underweight (81.5% vs. 33.2%), and wasting (42.2% vs. 12.3%) were substantially higher in the CP group (all p < 0.05). Feeding dependency was prevalent in 64.7% of children with CP versus 14.5% of controls. Severe motor impairment (GMFCS IV-V), spastic CP subtype, and greater feeding difficulties, were independently associated with lower WAZ and BMIZ scores. In conclusion, malnutrition is highly prevalent among children with CP in rural Malawi, far exceeding national and regional estimates. Disability-inclusive nutrition guidelines, caregiver feeding support, and integration of CP-specific care into existing nutrition programmes are urgently needed.
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BibTeX
@article{meijden2026prevalence,
title = {{Prevalence of Malnutrition and Contributing Factors in Children With Cerebral Palsy in Malawi: A Case‐Control Study}},
author = {Bente van der Meijden and Natasha Lelijveld and Alinafe Chisulanda Kusate and Lara Chikuse and Molly Margot Mascini and Wieger Voskuijl},
journal = {Maternal \& child nutrition},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1111/mcn.70260},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13717596},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Prevalence of Malnutrition and Contributing Factors in Children With Cerebral Palsy in Malawi: A Case‐Control Study
AU - Bente van der Meijden
AU - Natasha Lelijveld
AU - Alinafe Chisulanda Kusate
AU - Lara Chikuse
AU - Molly Margot Mascini
AU - Wieger Voskuijl
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Maternal & child nutrition
DO - 10.1111/mcn.70260
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13717596
AB - Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are at increased risk of malnutrition, yet no population-level data exist for this group in Malawi. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of undernutrition among children with CP in Malawi compared to peers without CP, and to explore contributing factors. This cross-sectional case-control study was conducted in Mangochi District, Malawi. A total of 260 children aged 2-18 years with clinician-confirmed CP were enroled alongside 259 age- and sex-matched controls. Nutritional status was assessed using standard anthropometric measures. Feeding difficulties and household food security were captured using existing tools. Linear regression examined factors associated with weight-for-age (WAZ) and BMI-for-age z-scores (BMIZ). Children with CP had significantly worse nutritional status across all anthropometric indicators compared to controls. Stunting (90.9% vs. 45.6%), underweight (81.5% vs. 33.2%), and wasting (42.2% vs. 12.3%) were substantially higher in the CP group (all p < 0.05). Feeding dependency was prevalent in 64.7% of children with CP versus 14.5% of controls. Severe motor impairment (GMFCS IV-V), spastic CP subtype, and greater feeding difficulties, were independently associated with lower WAZ and BMIZ scores. In conclusion, malnutrition is highly prevalent among children with CP in rural Malawi, far exceeding national and regional estimates. Disability-inclusive nutrition guidelines, caregiver feeding support, and integration of CP-specific care into existing nutrition programmes are urgently needed.
SN - 1740-8695
SN - 1740-8709
ER -