Malnutrition: Prevalence and Associated Factors among School Age Children in Delta State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Malnutrition, Nutritional status, School-age children, Thinness, UndernutritionAbstract
Background: Malnutrition continues to be a fundamental health problem across school-age children in poor resource countries, including Nigeria. Both undernutrition and overnutrition adversely affect physical and brain development, educational performance, and prospective health outputs.
Objective: The objective of this research was to evaluate the frequency of malnutrition and identify factors influencing nutritional status of primary and secondary school children across Delta State.
Methodology: Across Delta State, Nigeria, 201 primary and secondary school students between the ages of 6 and 17 participated in a cross-sectional survey. A multistage sampling process was employed to select study participants. Systematic questionnaire was employed to obtain information on dietary pattern and sociodemographic traits. Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile was computed using anthropometric data, such as height and weight. WHO growth references were used to categorize malnutrition based on age-for-height and sex. SPSS version 23 was utilized for data analysis. Chi-square test, multinomial logistic regression, and descriptive statistics were employed at 95% confidence threshold.
Results: The study sample comprised 58.7% females and 41.3% males. Prevalence of thinness, overweight, stunting, and underweight was 14.9%, 5.0%, 7.0%, and 3.5%, respectively. Most respondents (80.1%) had normal nutritional status. Association between gender and nutritional status was statistically significant (χ² = 7.308, p = .026), prevalence of thinness was more common among males compared to females. Vegetable consumption was significantly associated with nutritional state (χ² =11.572, p = .003). Multinomial logistic regression showed that female gender was independently associated with reduce odds of thinness (AOR = .15, 95% CI: .024–0.951, p = .044).
Conclusion: Despite the normal nutritional status of most school children, thinness and stunting remain important public health concerns. School-based nutritional interventions and health promotion of dietary consumption is recommended.
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