Nutritional Status of Children Aged 6–23 Months in The Komanda Health Zone, Democratic Republic of The Congo

Abstract

Child malnutrition remains a major public health problem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly in eastern regions. This study assessed the nutritional status of children aged 6–23 months in the Komanda Health Zone, Ituri Province, and described crude associations with selected sociodemographic factors. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from June 12 to 29, 2025, in 10 of 17 health areas. Seven areas were excluded because of insecurity. Multistage cluster sampling was used. Data were collected with KoboCollect and anthropometric measurements. WAZ, HAZ, and WHZ indices were calculated using WHO Anthro and analyzed with Stata v13. Among 475 children, stunting, underweight, and wasting affected 50.95%, 25.05%, and 15.79%, respectively. Maternal age, child sex, child age, and maternal education showed significant crude associations with anthropometric indicators. Findings indicate a high burden of malnutrition, requiring cautious interpretation due to unadjusted analyses and unaccounted cluster effects.