In Burkina Faso, malnutrition is a public health problem. Despite
the significant drop in the prevalence of malnutrition since 2009 according to
the Directorate of Nutrition, malnutrition is still a major concern with regard to
its consequences. The objective of this study was to determine the factors
associated with acute malnutrition in children aged 6 to 59 months in the Sabou
Health District, Burkina Faso. Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional
study conducted among 343 children aged 6 to 59 months in Sabou Health
District, Burkina Faso from August 1st to 30th, 2016. Factors associated with
acute malnutrition were dietary factors, family factors, environmental factors,
and infectious factors determined using SPSS version 21.0 software. The
difference was statistically significant for P-value of less than 0.05. Results:
The prevalence of global acute malnutrition in the district was 9.0%, of which
2.6% was severe according to the Brachial Perimeter. Several factors were
associated with acute malnutrition in children under 5 years of age in the Sabou
health district. Indeed, morbidity was a factor associated with acute
malnutrition in children with a P-value of 0.007. The low dietary diversity
experienced by food-insecure households was also associated with acute
malnutrition in children. Infant and young child feeding practices, i.e.,
inadequate introduction of complementary foods and low dietary diversity to
children were among the factors associated with nutritional status (P = 0.007).
Among mothers, 87.5% had heard of malnutrition, 66.5% did not recognize the
signs of malnourished in their children, and 92.4% were unaware of the
consequences of malnutrition. Conclusion: Based on the results, initiatives and
programmes should be established for women, the bearers of life, to enhance
their empowerment and educate them with regard to the integral growth of
children, the builders of tomorrow.