NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND MORBIDITY PATTERN OF UNDERFIVE CHILDREN IN BENIN CITY, EDO STATE
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Abstract
Malnutrition is the single biggest contributor to under-five mortality due to greater susceptibility to
infections and slow recovery from illness. Every year, an estimated 2.5 million under-five children
in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition and this makes them vulnerable and nine times
more likely to die from diarrhea, acute respiratory tract infection and fever. This interaction
between malnutrition and infection creates a potentially lethal cycle of worsening illness and
deteriorating nutritional status. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between the nutritional status and morbidity pattern of
under-five children in Benin-City, Edo State Nigeria. METHODS: This was a community-based cross-sectional study carried out among 771 mother- child pairs that were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. A structured, pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic and socio- economic characteristics, dietary pattern, morbidity pattern and child health practices while
nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric methods. Focus group discussions guide was
used to collect data on maternal knowledge, attitude and practices on child health and infant and
young child feeding. Data was analyzed using Software Statistical Package for Scientific Solutions
(SPSS) version 20.0 manufactured by IBM incorporated and the level of statistical significance was
set at a p< 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 771 mother-child pair participated in this study. The mean age of the
participants was 27.3 ±15.9 months. The results showed that 215 (27.9%) mothers had introduced
complementary foods to their children at the appropriate time. The most consumed food were foodsren. Only 113 (14.7%) of children had an adequately diverse diet, in which they
made from grains, roots and tubers; 26.9% among breastfeeding children and 73.1% among non- breastfeeding child
infections and slow recovery from illness. Every year, an estimated 2.5 million under-five children
in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition and this makes them vulnerable and nine times
more likely to die from diarrhea, acute respiratory tract infection and fever. This interaction
between malnutrition and infection creates a potentially lethal cycle of worsening illness and
deteriorating nutritional status. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between the nutritional status and morbidity pattern of
under-five children in Benin-City, Edo State Nigeria. METHODS: This was a community-based cross-sectional study carried out among 771 mother- child pairs that were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. A structured, pre-tested, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on demographic and socio- economic characteristics, dietary pattern, morbidity pattern and child health practices while
nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric methods. Focus group discussions guide was
used to collect data on maternal knowledge, attitude and practices on child health and infant and
young child feeding. Data was analyzed using Software Statistical Package for Scientific Solutions
(SPSS) version 20.0 manufactured by IBM incorporated and the level of statistical significance was
set at a p< 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 771 mother-child pair participated in this study. The mean age of the
participants was 27.3 ±15.9 months. The results showed that 215 (27.9%) mothers had introduced
complementary foods to their children at the appropriate time. The most consumed food were foodsren. Only 113 (14.7%) of children had an adequately diverse diet, in which they
made from grains, roots and tubers; 26.9% among breastfeeding children and 73.1% among non- breastfeeding child
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