Socio-Economic Determinants Influencing Malnutrition Among Urban Slum Children in Dhaka

Child malnutrition remains a critical public health challenge in urban slums of low- and middle-income countries. This cross-sectional study assessed nutritional status among 450 children aged 0-59 months in the Farmgate slum, Dhaka, examining socioeconomic, household, and dietary determinants using a hierarchical framework. Children were selected via simple random sampling; anthropometric measurements followed WHO guidelines. Nutritional status was assessed using weight-for-height Z-scores (WHZ) as the primary outcome, with Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) as a supplementary indicator. Hierarchical logistic regression, based on the UNICEF framework, showed 26.7% of children were acutely malnourished (MUAC-based). Socioeconomic and dietary variables lost significance after adjustment, while household overcrowding (AOR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.09-2.52) and recent diarrheal disease (AOR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.09-2.40) remained significant predictors. These findings suggest socioeconomic disadvantage operates through proximate household and health pathways, underscoring the need for interventions targeting living conditions and disease prevention.