Situation and Factors Associated with Early Childhood Nutritional Status in Health Regional 9

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive study was to assess the situations and factors associated with early childhood nutritional status in health region 9. Subjects in this study were mothers, fathers and caregivers and 794 children resided in health region 9. The samples were selected using three-staged cluster sampling technique. Demographic and medical history data were obtained through the maternal and child health record books and questionnaires and Denver II child development measurement. The data were collected from April to June 2017. The descriptive data analysis included frequencies, percentages, arithmetic means and standard deviations. The analyses of association among various factors were done using odds ratio and chi-square.

The results showed that about 72.9 percent of the sample had appropriate nutritional status (Boys: 69.4 % and Girls: 79.4 %, child 0-2 years 71.3 percent and child 3-5 years 73.3 percent). Nutritional status was classified by weight by age, weight by height and height by age comparison between girls and boys had appropriate nutritional status of 80.8, 75.5, 82.3, 75.8, 88.7 and 88.7 respectively.  It was found that girls had appropriate nutritional status than boys.

Factors that were found associated with early childhood nutritional status included maternal factors such as attending quality antenatal care 5 times, whether they took iodine and whether they have disease during pregnant. Early childhood factors associated with early childhood nutritional status included birth weight. Environment factors associated with early childhood nutritional status included caregiver aged.

It was suggested from this study that: 1) Development at all level mother and child care system such as increase antenatal care for pregnant women 5 times quality for given standard care, promoting nutrition during pregnancy, include guidelines to prevent premature labor prevent birth. Weight less than 2,500 gms. 2) The measures on the track monitoring evaluation and surveillance development in early childhood.