Nutritional status and associated factors among children aged 6–24 months at a primary health care centre in conflict-affected Gaza

Abstract

Abstract Background/Objectives Children aged 6–24 months are highly vulnerable to malnutrition during conflict because they depend on breastfeeding, complementary feeding and functioning nutrition services. This study assessed nutritional status, socioeconomic correlates, maternal knowledge and primary health care centre (PHCC) nutrition service gaps in Gaza. Subjects/Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at Al-Daraj Martyrs Health Centre, one of the remaining functioning PHCCs in Gaza City during the study period, between late August and October 2025. Mother-child pairs were recruited by convenience sampling. Of 276 mother-child pairs approached, 250 completed the questionnaire. The anthropometric analytic sample comprised 200 children with the required anthropometric information, while haemoglobin results were available for 55 of the 250 completed participants. Results Stunting affected 12.5% of children, underweight 20.1%, wasting 20.8%, and anaemia 63.6% of the haemoglobin-tested subsample. Underweight was associated with household food shortage ( p = 0.013) and previous malnutrition treatment ( p = 0.002), wasting with child age category ( p = 0.0024), and anaemia with paternal unemployment ( p = 0.020). Maternal knowledge and practice scores were positively correlated (r = 0.177, p = 0.012), but neither was independently associated with stunting or underweight in adjusted models. PHCC nutrition support was limited, with 71.0% of mothers reporting nurse-provided nutrition advice and 52.5% reporting growth-chart review. Conclusion In this clinic-based sample from conflict-affected Gaza, malnutrition among children aged 6–24 months was substantial. The pattern suggests that nutritional risk was shaped more by structural deprivation and weakened PHCC support than by maternal knowledge alone. These findings underline the need to restore nutrition services and improve access to adequate food for young children.