Common risk factors in the development of protein energy malnutrition may be classified as maternal and environmental.

Common risk factors in the development of protein energy malnutrition may be classified as maternal and environmental.^[1] The causes of protein energy malnutrition may be distributed unequally and thus, the degree of protein–energy malnutrition disorders including kwashiorkor and marasmus may vary in a given population depending on many factors including:^[2][3][4]

• The political and economical situation of the area
• The level of education amongst the people
• The sanitatary conditions
• The climatic conditions
• Food production and availability
• Cultural food preferences in the area
• Breast-feeding preference among the female population
• Prevalence of infectious diseases
• The existence and effectiveness of governmental nutrition programs
• The quality of health services

Maternal factors:

• Formal education of mother:
  • Children of mothers with little or no formal education have an increased risk of developing protein energy malnutrition when compared with the children of the mothers who have a secondary education or higher
• Number of children under 5 years:
  • Mothers who have three or more children under 5 years have an increased risk of having a child with protein energy malnutrition when compared to mothers who only have one
• Young maternal age
• Occupation of the mother
• Marital status of the mother

Environmental and child factors:

• Area of residence: Rural vs urban dwelling
• Very low economic status of the family
• Unprotected source of water
• Use of firewood as only source of fuel
• Use of charcoal as main source of fuel
• Use of paraffin as main source of fuel
• Poor hygiene/cleanliness
• Poor health status of the child