# Associations Between Climate‐Sensitive Nutrients, Clinical Malaria, and Anaemia Among Young Children in Rural Burkina Faso: An Analysis of Baseline Data From a Cluster‐Randomised Controlled Trial

## TL;DR

This study in Burkina Faso found that a diet high in fat and vitamin A may lower the risk of clinical malaria in young children, while anaemia remains widespread.

## Contribution

The study identifies a novel dietary pattern associated with reduced clinical malaria risk in a malaria-endemic region.

## Key findings

- 25% of children had clinical malaria and 88.5% had anaemia.
- A 'fat and vitamin A' diet was linked to lower clinical malaria risk.
- A 'fibre and micronutrient' diet showed no association with malaria or anaemia.

## Abstract

Malaria and anaemia are significant public health challenges among young children in Burkina Faso, with complex interactions between climate variability, food security, and nutrient deficiencies. This study aimed to identify the malariometric profile and nutrient patterns among young children and to determine the associations of nutrient patterns with clinical malaria and anaemia.

This cross‐sectional study recruited 701 children aged 6–23 months in Nouna, Burkina Faso. Dietary intakes were collected using a semi‐quantitative Food Propensity Questionnaire. Principal Component Analysis was used to derive nutrient patterns. We calculated logistic regressions for the associations of nutrient patterns with clinical malaria (Plasmodium species with fever (≥ 37.5°C) or a history of fever within the last 2 weeks or prescribed anti‐malaria medication) and anaemia (Hb < 11 g/dL).

In this study population (n = 452; median age: 17 months (interquartile range: 12, 21); male sex: 52%), 25.0% of the children had clinical malaria, and 88.5% had anaemia. Adherence to a ‘fat and vitamin A’ dietary pattern was inversely associated with the chance of clinical malaria (OR quintile 3 vs. quintile 1: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.96) but not with anaemia. A ‘fibre and micronutrient’ pattern was neither associated with malaria nor with anaemia.

Anaemia is common in this malaria‐endemic area, and diets characterised by fat and vitamin A may reduce the risk of clinical malaria in young children. This highlights the need for comprehensive management strategies addressing both malaria and anaemia, including community‐based educational interventions to enhance complementary feeding practices in malaria‐endemic regions.