15.
A 2005 report from the World Health Organization shows the effect of malnutrition on
the mortality of children admitted to hospitals for various diseases. Which of the
following conclusions is supported by data in the graph?
a. Meningitis is the most common illness among this group.
b. Malnourishment correlates with increased mortality among this group.
c. Most children admitted to hospitals were malnourished.
d. Most children admitted to hospitals suffered from multiple diseases.

The correct answer is (b) Malnourishment correlates with increased mortality among this group. The graph clearly shows that as the severity of malnutrition increases from none to very severe, the percentage mortality for every disease category rises sharply.

Understanding the question and graph

The question presents a 2005 World Health Organization (WHO) report showing percentage mortality among children admitted with different diseases (malaria, cerebral malaria, meningitis, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, and all diseases) across four nutrition categories: none, moderate, severe, and very severe malnutrition. WHO reports consistently state that malnourished children have a higher risk of death from common infections such as diarrhoea, pneumonia and malaria, because undernutrition weakens immunity and worsens disease outcomes.​

In the graph, for every disease, the bars for moderate, severe and very severe malnutrition climb progressively higher than the bar for no malnutrition, showing a strong positive correlation between malnutrition severity and mortality.

Option‑wise detailed explanation

Option (a): “Meningitis is the most common illness among this group.”

This option talks about the most common illness, which means the disease with the highest number of admitted cases. The graph, however, gives only percentage mortality for admitted children in each disease category, not the total number of admissions. Therefore, it is impossible to know which disease is most common from this graph alone. Epidemiological summaries often list pneumonia and diarrhoeal disease as leading causes of under‑five admissions and deaths, not necessarily meningitis, underscoring that “most common” cannot be inferred from mortality percentages alone. Hence, option (a) is not supported by the data.​

Option (b): “Malnourishment correlates with increased mortality among this group.” ✔️

This statement directly matches what the graph shows. For each disease:

• The “none” malnutrition bar (well‑nourished children) has the lowest percentage mortality.

• As one moves through moderate, severe, to very severe malnutrition, the bars become progressively higher, indicating higher mortality percentages.

This pattern of rising mortality with worsening nutritional status is exactly what is meant by a positive correlation between malnourishment and mortality. Clinical and public‑health research consistently confirms this relationship: severely malnourished children are several times more likely to die from infections like pneumonia and diarrhoea compared with well‑nourished children. Therefore, option (b) is clearly supported by the graph and is the correct answer.​

Option (c): “Most children admitted to hospitals were malnourished.”

This option makes a claim about the proportion of admitted children who are malnourished. The graph only gives, for each nutritional category, the percentage of those children who died, not how many children fell into each category. Even if the mortality percentage is high for malnourished children, that does not tell how many were admitted in the first place. For example, a small number of severely malnourished children could have high mortality but still represent a minority of admissions. Population‑based studies sometimes find that about half of critically ill children are malnourished, but that information is external and cannot be deduced from this specific graph. Thus option (c) is not justified by the given data.​

Option (d): “Most children admitted to hospitals suffered from multiple diseases.”

This option suggests that co‑morbidity (multiple diseases in the same child) was common. The graph lists diseases separately and reports mortality for each disease by nutritional status, but it does not indicate whether an individual child appears in more than one disease category. To prove that most children had multiple diseases, data showing overlaps (e.g., percentages with malaria plus pneumonia) would be needed; that information is absent here. Although co‑morbidities are known to increase mortality among severely malnourished children, the graph itself does not provide any evidence about multiple simultaneous diseases. Therefore option (d) is also not supported.​

SEO‑optimized introduction (for article use)

The effect of malnutrition on mortality of children admitted to hospitals for various diseases is a critical public‑health concern, especially in low‑ and middle‑income countries where infections like pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria and meningitis remain major killers. A classic WHO graph from 2005 vividly shows how percentages of death rise steeply as children move from normal nutritional status to moderate, severe and very severe malnutrition, across every major infectious disease category. Understanding this graphical data not only helps in solving exam‑style multiple‑choice questions but also highlights why improving child nutrition is essential to reduce hospital mortality worldwide.​