Factors Associated with Nutritional Status of Under Five Children in Rupandehi District of Nepal

Abstract

Childhood is a time of active growth in terms of physical size, mental, emotional and psychological development. Normal growth is dependent on adequate nutrition and encompasses major transformations from birth to adulthood. Socio-economic status and behaviors of family members, environmental factors are other determinants of nutritional status of under five year children. This research was conducted to assess the factors associated with nutritional status of under five year children in Rupandehi District of Nepal. This was a community based Cross-sectional study. It was conducted in Rupandehi. Two hundred ninety two children were selected using proportionate random sampling technique. For collecting the data, selected households were visited by enumerators for two months from January to February 2008. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 12. The proportion of the participants was 51.7% male and 48.7%female. Nearly half of the children (45.9%) of the children aged 36- 59 months were under weight according to Indian Academy of Pediatrics (NCHS/WHO standard). Fifty percent of the children born to illiterate mothers were found underweight. Majority of the children (65%) were found stunted according to Waterlow’s classification. More than the half the children (57.75%) were underweight who were born by mother less than 18 years of age where as 75% were underweight born by mother aged above 35 years of age. However the association between age of the mother at the birth of the child and nutritional status is not statistically significant. More than half of the children were found underweight and Nearly 2/3rd of the children were found stunted. To get better nutritional status of children, greater emphasis should be given to under five years children with community based awareness programs to mother and care givers.

Key words: Height-for-age, weight-for-age, Malnutrition, Waterlow’s classification