Title:
Predictors of Undernutrition in Children in Kwahu South District (KSD) of Ghana
Authors:
Sataru, Fuseini
Year:
2015
PAGE:
xi, 56
Language:
En
Subject:
Health and Nutrition
Keywords:
Undernutrition, Stunting, Wasting, Children, Women, Infections, Determinants, Prevalence, Intergenerational, Ghana, Kwahu South District
Abstract:
Introduction: In Kwahu South District, undernutrition is among the top four causes of illnesses in children. Nutrition interventions for children are mainly preventive and delivered at Child Welfare Clinics. Methods: This study is in two parts; a review of literature and statistical analysis of secondary data using a logistic regression model for 310 children between the ages of 6-59 months. Findings: The prevalence of stunting and wasting are 22.3% and 19% respectively. Children with health insurance were less likely (OR=0.44, 95%CI 0.21-0.89, p=0.022) to be stunted compared with children not insured. Children taken to a Health Center/CHPS were twice (OR=2.2, 95%CI 0.88-5.49, p=0.05) and those taken to herbalist were fourteen (OR=14.3, 95%CI 1.29-158.04, p=0.030) times more likely to be stunted compared with children taken to the hospital for treatment when ill. Children whose mothers worked in the public sector were about nine times (OR 8.8 95%CI 1.05-74.16, p=0.044) more likely to be stunted compared with children whose mothers occupation was trading. Children of divorced mothers were five times (OR 4.5 95%CI 1.29-15.71, p=0.018) more likely to be stunted compared with children of married mothers. None of the variables was significantly associated with wasting in neither a bivariate nor multivariate logistic regression. Conclusion: Undernutrition is a public health problem in KSD and urgent action is required to address acute undernutrition in children in the district. Recommendation: Recommendations include: targeting children of high risk mother groups; extend and increase frequency of Child Welfare Clinics in all health facilities; increase collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and District Insurance Scheme; and introduce Community Management of Acute Malnutrition in the district.
Organization:
KIT - Royal Tropical Institute
,
VU - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Institute:
KIT (Royal Tropical Institute)
Department:
Development, Policy and Practice
Country:
Ghana
Region:
Western African
Training:
Master of Public Health / International Course in Health Development (MPH/ICHD)
Category:
Research
Right:
© 2015 Sataru
Document type:
Thesis/dissertation
File:
e348CmtU4W_20161103115954841.pdf