Burden and Determinants of Childhood Undernutrition in an Urban Slum Community in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the burden and determinants of childhood undernutrition in an urban slum community in Ibadan, Nigeria. A 3‐stage stratified random sampling was used to select 273 children (0–24 months) from one slum community in the city of Ibadan. The prevalence of wasting, stunting and underweight was computed while the burden of undernutrition was calculated using the Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (CIAF). There were 138 females and 135 males; mean age was 8.5 ± 6.3 months. Prevalence of wasting, stunting and underweight were found to be 9.9%, 47.6% and 21.6% respectively. Age groups 7–12 months and 19–24 months were at significantly higher risk of undernutrition. Using CIAF, six sub‐groups of single and multiple anthropometric failures were computed, giving an overall prevalence 57.1% as burden of undernutrition. Determinants of undernutrition in the community were mainly poor infant and young child feeding practices, poor environment and sub‐optimal care practices. Interventions based on improvement of infant and young child feeding, care and environmental health are needed in this community to reduce the high burden of childhood undernutrition.