EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF MALNUTRITION IN CHILDREN LESS THAN FIVE YEARS ADMITTED TO GBAGADA GENERAL HOSPITAL, LAGOS, NIGERIA

Abstract: Malnutrition is a major health in developing countries and the most important risk factor for illnesses and death especially among young children in Nigeria. As a step towards reducing the prevalence, there is need to identify the important determinants of malnutrition in the specific context.

This study examined the  epidemiological aspects of Malnutrition in Children under five years admitted to Gbagada General Hospital in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Descriptive analyses, frequency table and simple percentages were used to analyze anthropometrics data collected from 100 children less than five years  who were admitted to the Paediatrics  section of the hospital between November 8 - December 6, 2014, and their mothers were interviewed to obtain relevant data.

The proportion of malnutrition among all  registered diseases was 16%. Malnourished children were classified into Kwashiorkor (37.5%), Marasmus (31.25%), Marasmickwash (18.75%) and underweight (12.5%).

This study concludes  that the significant determinants of malnutrition are gender and age of child, family size, mother’s education  and awareness of mothers about malnutrition. The frequency of malnutrition in children less than five was low compared to other diseases.

 However, to reduce the present high rate of malnutrition, the study suggests the targeting of women with awareness programmes and provision of clean water, including the enforcement of healthy environment in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.

 Keywords: Malnutrition,Nutritional status, Children, Kwashiorkor, Karasmus, Underweight

TABLE OF CONTENT

 TITLE PAGE

ABSTRACT

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1  OBJECTIVE

1.2 BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK

3. DATA AND METHODOLOGY

3.1 THE STUDY AREA

3.2 DATA COLLECTION

3.3 ANTHROPOMETRIC ANALYSIS

3.4 WEIGHT DETERMINATION

3.5 HEIGHT DETERMINATION

3.6  CLASSIFICATION OF MALNUTRITION

3.7 RESULTS

4. DISCUSSION

4.1 DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS OF PROPORTIONAL RATE OF MALNUTRITION IN CHILDREN

4.2 DETERMINANTS OF MALNUTRITION 

CONCLUSION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

PLAGIARISM REPORT

1.  INTRODUCTION

Reducing malnutrition among children under the age of five remains a huge challenge in developing countries of the World. An estimated 230 million under-five children are believed to be chronically malnourished in developing countries (Van de Poel et. al., 2008).

Similarly, about 54% of deaths among children of this age group are believed to be associated with malnutrition in developing countries (FAO, 2008). In Sub-Saharan Africa, 41% of under-five children are malnourished and deaths from malnutrition are increasing on daily basis in the region (FAO, 2008).

Malnutrition is widespread in Nigeria, especially in the rural areas. This is partly due to inadequate food, mass poverty, unemployment and nutrient supply. The 2003 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey revealed that 38% of under-five children in Nigeria are stunted, 29% underweight and 9.2% wasted (Ajieroh, 2010). 

1.2 BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

Malnutrition is defined as a pathological condition of varying degrees of severity and diverse clinical manifestations, resulting from deficient assimilation of the components of the nutrient complex (Sahibzada et al, 2011).

Children are vulnerable group; they tend to develop nutritional disorders if they are not feeding properly. Malnutrition is a common one of these disorders particularly among children less than five years in developing countries. 

One in every five children aged less than 5 years in low-income and developing countries is malnourished (Agozie, et al, 2012).  An estimated one third of under-5 children (178 million) are stunted, whereas 112 million are underweight, making malnutrition the most common ‘disease’ of children(Tahmeed Ahmed et al, 2010)

Globally, undernutrition is associated with more than one-third of all deaths in this age group. Worldwide, over 10 million children under the age of 5 years die every year from preventable and treatable illnesses. At least half of these deaths are caused by malnutrition (Kebede et al, 2013). Acute malnutrition in young children continues to be a major health problem in Nigeria.

Despite recent advances in prevention and management of childhood malnutrition in Nigeria, 10% of children under 5 years of age are  malnourished(Ajieroh, 2010).

 Childhood malnutrition places a heavy burden on many families in Nigeria and other developing countries. It not only directly increases mortality but also imposes significant national health and development costs due to associated morbidities, including impaired cognitive ability and indirect deaths.

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