Abstract:
Nutritional status of an individual depends on whether or not one is getting correct amounts and types of the required nutrients failure to which malnutrition develops. Malnutrition remains a public health concern as it affects a great number of children globally. Causes of malnutrition may be immediate like inadequate food intake and diseases, underlying causes such as inadequate care of women and children and poor health services or basic like socio-economic and political causes. The main objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with the nutritional status of children aged between three and five years in Kambi Odha Sub-location of Isiolo County, Kenya. This study was a community-based cross-sectional study which utilized both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Systematic random sampling was used in selecting the study participants. A sample size of 196 children was targeted. Questionnaires and focused group discussions were used to collect data from amongst mothers of children aged 3-5years. Nutritional status, socio-demographic and economic status, health related, food consumption, water consumption and sanitation status data were collected. Data from the questionnaire was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. Anthropometric data was analyzed using z-scores as standard reference as recommended by WHO Test (2006). Data has been presented using tables, measures of deviation, percentages, bar chart and pie chart. Data from the focus group discussions was analyzed manually using thematic analysis. The prevalence of stunting (height-for-age), underweight (weight-for-age) and wasting (weight-for height) was 17%, 9% and 2% respectively. Factors significantly associated with poor nutritional status were the child’s mother being a housewife (OR 6.7; 95% CI 1.3-19.9, p=0.0006), child’s mother having no formal education (OR 6.2;95% CI 1.8-21.4, p=0.0040), head of the household being employed (OR 3.3;95% CI 1.3-8.2, p=0.0116), mother’s child having 7 or more children (OR 6.6; 95% CI 1.7-26.4, p=0.0236),child having poor appetite (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1-8, p=0.0285), husband determining the food to be bought or prepared in the household (OR7.1; 95% CI 2.7-18.7, p< 0.0001), money determining the food to be prepared or bought (OR8.7; 95% CI 3.4-22.1, p<0.0001), buying or borrowing water for household use (OR 4.8; 95% CI 1.7-13.9, p=0.0039) and absence of own pit latrine within the compound (OR 4.2; 95% CI 1.3-13.3, p=0.0155).Child malnutrition continue to be a public health concern as the study demonstrated manageable and largely preventable factors such as environmental and family as having higher association with poor nutritional status of the children. Poor nutritional status of children mean continued and increased loss of productivity and lives given that malnutrition has severe and even irreversible consequences. To achieve optimal results, participation and involvement of mothers and other community stakeholders should be established or strengthened towards addressing child malnutrition.
