Protein energy malnutrition is a major health problem in India and it
affects the growth and development of young children. This study investigated
the impact of hygiene, housing and sociodemographic variables on acute
malnutrition in children aged 5–7, living in urban and rural areas. Ordinal
logistic regression analysis showed that the overall prevalence of severe
malnutrition was 8·2%. Older age, male sex, mother's poor education, lower
family income, higher birth order of the child, use of dung or fire wood as
fuel and defecation within the premises were significantly associated with
malnutrition. Appropriate intervention programmes should be formulated to
educate and support these families.