Socio-demographic correlates of childhood malnutrition in a rural community in Southwest Nigeria - A call for targeted interventions for vulnerable children
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
العنوان:
Socio-demographic correlates of childhood malnutrition in a rural community in Southwest Nigeria - A call for targeted interventions for vulnerable children
ACKGROUND: Nigeria has the second-highest burden of stunted children globally. Yet, only two out of ten malnourished Nigerian children benefit from intervention programs to address malnutrition. This study describes some socio-demographic factors associated with malnutrition among children living in a rural community in Southwest Nigeria. METHODS: This study was a community-based cross-sectional study involving 364 children randomly selected from their homes aged 1–15 years. Factors such as socioeconomic status, birth order, and whether the mother was alive were obtained. Weights, heights, and body mass index (BMI) were measured and interpreted using the WHO z-scores. Chi-squared test of associations was used for categorical variables and an independent t-test was used to compare the mean BMI between both genders. The level of significance was set at a p-value