Background: With respect to the known complications of malnutrition, especially in vulnerable group of children under 5, the present study was conducted in Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 1997 determine the prevalence of malnutrition and its association with economic indices.

Materials and Methods: 1028 under-5-year-old children referred to pediatric clinics in Tehran were included in a descriptive-analytical study. Patients were distributed in two groups of case and control, matched according to the confounding factors. Groups were determined following the recognition of malnourished children. Thus, malnourished children were included as the case group and 550 normal children were considered as control. Demographic data including sex, age and family size were all recorded. Having 33 children excluded due to the secondary malnutrition, malnutrition severity was assessed according to the weight and height of age.

Results: 161 (16.2%) children including 77 boys and 84 girls were malnourished. Family size of 3 or 4 was found in 22.4% and 32.7% of the case and control group, respectively. These figures were 31.3% and 28.5% for family size of 7. Significant associations were found between children malnutrition and family monthly income (P<0.0001), family size (P<0.02) and maternal education (P<0.03).

Conclusion: With respect to the effect of economic indices on malnutrition this should be considered as a priority, thus, complications and expenses would be decreased.