Abstract
Purpose: The main objective of this study was to determine factors associated with stunting, wasting and underweight among children aged 2-5 years in early childhood development and education centers in Masinga sub county, Machakos County.Methodology: This was a descriptive cross sectional study. This study was conducted amongst 322 children in 15 randomly selected public early childhood development and education centers. Simple random sampling was used to select the children. Data was collected from mothers of children aged 24 to 59 months using pre-tested structured questionnaires and was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 10. Chis-square was used to measure the relationship between variables at p≤ 0.05. Data was then presented in frequencies, percentages, graphs and tables.Results: Factors such as socio-economic characteristics, environmental and health characteristics of children, among others, were found to be having some form of associations with stunting, wasting and underweight. The following variables had significant relationship; mother’s religion with wasting p= 0.111, age of the child with stunting p= 0.033 and underweight p= 0.038, level of the ECDE with stunting p= 0.034 and underweight p= 0.038, sex of the child with stunting p= 0.021, underweight p= 0.032 and wasting p= 0.012 and availability of the toilet with underweight p= 0.024.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: Stunting, wasting and underweight among children aged 2-5 years continue to be a major public health concern that needs concerted efforts from a multi-sectoral approach to at least reduce the impact associated with the same. Factors such as age of the child, level of the ECDE, sex and environment, among others, are some of the main contributors to stunting, wasting and underweight among children. There is need for Machakos County government to implement a county nutrition integrated program with a community-based nutrition component that is linked to education, health, water and sanitation, and other relevant partners.
Highlights
1.1 Background of the StudyAdequate nutrition is essential in early childhood to ensure healthy growth, proper organ formation/function, strong immune system, and neurological/cognitive development
This study found out that age of the mothers had no significant relationship with child’s stunting p=0.236, underweight p=0.236, wasting p= 0.305, iodine p=0.159, zinc p= 0.116 and iron p= 0.130
This study found out that sex was significantly associated with stunting p= 0.021, underweight p=0.032 and wasting p= 0.012, boys were more likely to be stunted (40%), underweight (22%) and wasted (6%) compared to girls (33%, 19% and 5% respectively)
Summary
1.1 Background of the StudyAdequate nutrition is essential in early childhood to ensure healthy growth, proper organ formation/function, strong immune system, and neurological/cognitive development. Undernutrition among the under-five is a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries Kenya included. 26%, 16% and 8% of children aged below five were stunted, underweight and wasted respectively in 2011 with Sub-Saharan Africa contributing 40%, 26% and 10% of the above prevalence respectively (Elham et al, 2014; UNICEF et al.,2013). In 2014, approximately 26 %, 4 % and 11 % of the under-fives were stunted, wasted and underweight respectively in Kenya. Machakos County where Masinga Sub County is located, 27 % of children were stunted, 7% underweight and 8 % wasted (KDHS, 2014). Pre-school children in sub Saharan Africa have been shown to bare the most burdens where by contributing 35.8% are underweight, 42.7% stunted and 9.2% wasted (Patrice et al, 2007)
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