Abstract: Objective To investigate the influencing factors of malnutrition in preschool children, so as to provide a reference and basis for improving their nutritional status. Methods A total of 2 286 preschool children (3-6 years old) who underwent child health care and kindergarten enrollment physical examinations at the Longquanyi District Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Chengdu from September 2022 to September 2024 were selected as study subjects. The nutritional status of the children was evaluated according to the child growth standards recommended by the World Health Organization. A questionnaire survey on the children's basic information and feeding-related situations was conducted with the children's guardians. Univariate and multivariate analysis methods were used to analyze the factors affecting malnutrition in children. Results Among the 2 286 preschool children, there were 104 cases of malnutrition, and the detection rate of malnutrition was approximately 4.55% (104/2 286). The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low birth weight (OR=2.016), birth asphyxia (OR=1.647), being easily distracted during meals (OR=1.704), picky eating (OR=1.791), daily sleep duration of ≤10 hours (OR=2.036), frequent consumption of sugary drinks (OR=1.809), frequent consumption of puffed foods (OR=1.895), frequent illness (OR=1.680), fixed meal times (OR=0.570), and regular nutritional monitoring (OR=0.539) were all correlated factors for malnutrition in preschool children (all P<0.05). Conclusion The detection rate of malnutrition among preschool children is relatively high, and its influencing factors are numerous. Clinically, targeted interventions for preschool children can be strengthened based on these findings to reduce the risk of malnutrition.

Key words: Preschool children, Malnutrition, Influencing factors, Low birth weight, Feeding methods, Nutritional monitoring