PREVALENCE AND DETERMINANTS OF MALNUTRITION AMONG UNDER- FIVE CHILDREN OF HOUSEHOLD IN SLUM AREAS OF DISTRICT FAISALABAD

Abstract

Malnutrition refers to a pathological condition characterized by a lack of nutrients necessary for healthy body function. Malnutrition is one of the most common causes of death and disease among children under the age of five. About 96% percent of children in Pakistan do not receive adequate nutrition during childhood, such as soft food, milk, fruit, and vegetables. Food insecurity is a serious problem in Pakistan as a significant portion of the rural population is food insecure. A staggering 36.9% of households in the country are 'food insecure' and 18.3% are 'severely' food insecure. Pakistan is self-sufficient in basic food items, but only 63.1% of households have food security. Food insecurity is common, leaving women and children at greater risk of malnutrition. Drought-affected communities have exceptionally high rates of malnutrition. According to statistics in Pakistan, about 40, 29%, and 18% of children under the age of five are a stunt, underweight, and wasted, respectively. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prevalence and determinants of malnutrition status in children under 5 years of age in the slums of Faisalabad District, Punjab, Pakistan. The data is based on household demographic and socioeconomic factors, including anthropometric information on children under the age of five living in a slum in Faisalabad. Anthropometric data were obtained from 150 randomly selected children from three slum areas of Faisalabad. Socioeconomic and behavioural data were collected from each mother. Three indicators were used to measure the nutritional status of children: (i) stunting, height–for– age, (ii) wasting weight–for–height, and (iii) under-weight¸ weight–for–age. These values ​​were transformed into z-scores to classify the child's nutritional status. Descriptive and logistic regression techniques were used to identify factors associated with children's nutritional status. According to this study, the prevalence of stunting, being underweight, and wasting among children under five years of age in Faisalabad District, Pakistan were 28%, 22.6%, and 18% respectively. Testing with logistic regression techniques revealed that demographic, socio-economic, and behavioural factors were significant predictors of all three indicators of child nutritional status. These main factors were household calorie intake and maternal education, father education, access to clean water, and maternal access to health facilities.