Duration of recovery from severe acute malnutrition and associated factors in children aged 6–59 months: a retrospective cohort study

Malnutrition, particularly severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in children under five, is a global crisis affecting 25-35 million children, especially in Africa and Southeast Asia. In Ethiopia, 21% are underweight, 36% stunted, and 7% wasted. This study assesses recovery time from SAM in children admitted to public hospitals in Jimma Town. We conducted a retrospective study with 323 participants, collecting data from medical charts and analyzing it in Stata version 15. Used Kaplan-Meier for survival analysis and Cox regression for predictors of hospital stay, considering p-values < 0.05 as significant. A total of 81.1% of children with severe acute malnutrition recovered, with a recovery rate of 6.8 per 100 person-days and a median recovery time of 12 days. The predictors of nutritional recovery time were: unvaccinated (AHR = 1.630, 95% CI: 1.444, 1.894), having medical complications (AHR = 1.335, 95% CI: 1.195, 1.576), tuberculosis (AHR = 1.565, 95% CI: 1.395-2.809), pneumonia (AHR = 2.668, 95% CI: 2.405-2.769), being non-edematous (AHR = 1.880, 95% CI: 1.278, 2.765), marasmic kwashiorkor (AHR = 2.000, 95% CI: 1.254, 3.486), and hospital-acquired infections (AHR = 1.459, 95% CI: 1.315, 1.669). The study found optimal median recovery time influenced by vaccination status, comorbidities, and medical complications. Improved vaccination coverage, timely treatment, and infection control reduce hospital stays for severe acute malnutrition.