{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,3]],"date-time":"2026-06-03T05:24:13Z","timestamp":1780464253068,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]],"date-time":"2026-02-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771372800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Malnutrition among children and adolescents with cancer in low- and middle income countries significantly contributes to several adverse outcomes which have an impact on health-related quality of life and overall survival. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of malnutrition and its associated factors among pediatric cancer patients on chemotherapy.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A health institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among pediatric cancer patients receiving chemotherapy aged from birth to 15 years attending at Black Lion specialized hospital and Saint Paul\u2019s millennium medical college from May 1 to July 1, 2024. By using a simple random sampling method, 345 participants were selected for face to face interview and anthropometric assessments. Pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire, chart review and anthropometric measurement were used. Variables with p-value &lt;0.25 in the bi-variable logistic regression analysis were entered and checked for association in a multivariable logistic regression model. The level of statistical significance was declared at the p-value\u2009&lt;\u20090.05.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Result<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      In this study, we successfully enrolled 320 pediatric cancer patients, which represents a response rate of 92.8% (320\/345). The magnitude of malnutrition, defined by low BMI-for-age or weight-for-height\/length z-scores, was 28.4% (91\/320) (95% CI: 24.8%\u221231.3%\n                      <jats:bold>).<\/jats:bold>\n                      Additionally, the prevalence of stunting, based on height-for-age, was 30.6% (98\/320) (95% CI: 26.5%\u201334.2%).Children in the age category of 11\u201315 years (AOR\u2009=\u20092.54, 95% CI; 1.18\u20135.48), Children\u2019s of mothers educational level illiterate, (AOR\u2009=\u20092.20, 95%CI; 1.01\u20134.75), Children form Households which earn &lt;2000 ETB (AOR\u2009=\u20092.93, 95%CI; 1.14\u20137.53), Children with a cancer duration of 2\u20134 years (AOR\u2009=\u20091.34, 95%CI; 1.05\u20131.71), Children with hematologic malignancy (AOR\u2009=\u20092.18, 95%CI; 1.16\u20133.81), Children who had co-morbidities (AOR\u2009=\u20091.54, 95% CI; 1.12\u20132.10) and, Children\u2019s who have difficulty of swallowing (AOR\u2009=\u20092.11, 95%CI; 1.22\u20133.95) were significantly associated factors with being malnourished.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study identified malnutrition in 28.4% (91\/320) of participants undergoing chemotherapy. Children most at risk were those between 11 and 15 years old, from low-income households, with mothers who had no formal education, Children with a cancer duration of 2\u20134 years, with hematologic malignancies, with co-morbidities, and with difficulty swallowing.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0342544","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]],"date-time":"2026-02-18T18:23:56Z","timestamp":1771439036000},"page":"e0342544","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Magnitude of malnutrition and its associated factors among pediatric cancer patients on chemotherapy at oncology centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2024"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8548-8671","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Habtamu Wondmagegn","family":"Atlaw","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Edlework Wondmagegn","family":"Atlaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6870-9193","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Biniyam Demisse","family":"Andarge","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sayih Mehari","family":"Degualem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3848-6686","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Tsegazeab Ayele","family":"Meshesha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maycas","family":"Gembe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0546-7297","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Habtamu Esubalew","family":"Bezie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0342544.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"271","DOI":"10.1186\/s12885-021-08014-0","article-title":"Prevalence of childhood Cancer among children attending referral hospitals of outpatient Department in Ethiopia","volume":"21","author":"A Endalamaw","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Cancer"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0342544.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"207","DOI":"10.4103\/0019-509X.175841","article-title":"Nutritional profile of pediatric cancer patients at Cancer Institute, Chennai","volume":"52","author":"V Radhakrishnan","year":"2015","journal-title":"Indian J Cancer"},{"key":"pone.0342544.ref003","unstructured":"WHO. Global cancer burden growing amidst mounting need for services. 2024. https:\/\/wwwwhoint\/news\/item"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0342544.ref004","first-page":"199","article-title":"The challenge of childhood cancer in developing countries","volume":"26","author":"A Haileamlak","year":"2016","journal-title":"Ethiop J Health Sci"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0342544.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"249","DOI":"10.1016\/j.critrevonc.2011.12.003","article-title":"Malnutrition in childhood cancer patients: a review on its prevalence and possible causes","volume":"83","author":"A Brinksma","year":"2012","journal-title":"Crit Rev Oncol Hematol"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0342544.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"173","DOI":"10.4103\/0019-509X.175827","article-title":"Nutritional status in children with cancer: Before, during and after therapy","volume":"52","author":"RD Barr","year":"2015","journal-title":"Indian J Cancer"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0342544.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"677","DOI":"10.1002\/cncr.11833","article-title":"Children, cancer, and nutrition--A dynamic triangle in review","volume":"100","author":"A Sala","year":"2004","journal-title":"Cancer"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0342544.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.3945\/an.110.000141","article-title":"Important aspects of nutrition in children with cancer","volume":"2","author":"J Bauer","year":"2011","journal-title":"Adv Nutr"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0342544.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"432","DOI":"10.4103\/0019-509X.175321","article-title":"Risk predictors for adverse outcome in pediatric febrile neutropenia: Single center experience from a low and middle-income country","volume":"51","author":"M Prasad","year":"2014","journal-title":"Indian J Cancer"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0342544.ref010","first-page":"218","article-title":"Nutritional status of pediatric cancer patients at diagnosis and correlations with treatment, clinical outcome and the long-term growth and health of survivors","volume":"7","author":"V Diakatou","year":"2020","journal-title":"Children (Basel)"},{"key":"pone.0342544.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1158\/1538-7755.ASGCR23-Abstract-7","article-title":"Abstract 7: Assessment of baseline nutritional status of pediatric cancer patients treated in the pediatric oncology unit of jimma university medical center: a cross-sectional study","volume":"32","author":"R Gebremedhin","year":"2023","journal-title":"Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0342544.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"420","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bjhh.2014.06.001","article-title":"Nutritional status of children and adolescents at diagnosis of hematological and solid malignancies","volume":"36","author":"PDSM Lemos","year":"2014","journal-title":"Rev Bras Hematol Hemoter"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0342544.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"210","DOI":"10.4103\/0019-509X.175838","article-title":"Nutritional status at presentation, comparison of assessment tools, and importance of arm anthropometry in children with cancer in India","volume":"52","author":"P Shah","year":"2015","journal-title":"Indian J Cancer"},{"issue":"13","key":"pone.0342544.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1331","DOI":"10.1200\/JCO.2013.52.6962","article-title":"Impact on survival and toxicity by duration of weight extremes during treatment for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A report from the Children\u2019s Oncology Group","volume":"32","author":"E Orgel","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Clin Oncol"},{"issue":"45","key":"pone.0342544.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79884","DOI":"10.18632\/oncotarget.20168","article-title":"Prevalence of malnutrition in patients at first medical oncology visit: the PreMiO study","volume":"8","author":"M Muscaritoli","year":"2017","journal-title":"Oncotarget"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0342544.ref016","first-page":"35","article-title":"Nutritional status of children with cancer and its effects on survival","volume":"44","author":"N Yari\u015f","year":"2002","journal-title":"Turk J Pediatr"},{"issue":"15","key":"pone.0342544.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1897","DOI":"10.1161\/01.CIR.0000161797.67671.A7","article-title":"Weight gain in the first week of life and overweight in adulthood: a cohort study of European American subjects fed infant formula","volume":"111","author":"N Stettler","year":"2005","journal-title":"Circulation"},{"key":"pone.0342544.ref018","author":"JK Kigo","year":"2013"},{"key":"pone.0342544.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.3389\/fped.2017.00178","article-title":"Epigenetic matters: the link between early nutrition, microbiome, and long-term health development","volume":"5","author":"F Indrio","year":"2017","journal-title":"Front Pediatr"},{"issue":"19","key":"pone.0342544.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3730","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph16193730","article-title":"Socio-ecological model of correlates of double burden of malnutrition in developing countries: a narrative review","volume":"16","author":"T Mahmudiono","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0342544.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1111\/mcn.12255","article-title":"Improving women\u2019s nutrition imperative for rapid reduction of childhood stunting in South Asia: coupling of nutrition specific interventions with nutrition sensitive measures essential","author":"SC Vir","year":"2016","journal-title":"Matern Child Nutr"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0342544.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"292","DOI":"10.3988\/jcn.2019.15.3.292","article-title":"Association of nutritional status with cognitive stage in the elderly Korean population: the Korean Brain Aging Study for the early diagnosis and prediction of Alzheimer\u2019s disease","volume":"15","author":"JW Jang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Journal of Clinical Neurology"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0342544","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]],"date-time":"2026-02-18T18:24:01Z","timestamp":1771439041000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0342544"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Kahsu","family":"Gebrekidan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]]},"references-count":22,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0342544","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,18]]}}}