School of Applied Sciences

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Browsing School of Applied Sciences by Author "Onyach, Richard"

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    DETERMINANTS OF MALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS IN PAGER DIVISION, KITGUM MUNICIPALITY, KITGUM DISTRICT: A DESCRIPTIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
    (Student’s Journal of Health Research Africa, 2023-06-26) Nalubega, Jane Frank; Turumanya, Judah; Onyach, Richard
    The major objective of the study was to assess the determinants of malnutrition among children under five years in the pager division of Kitgum municipality. The specific objectives of the study were to: determine wasting, establish the feeding practices associated with wasting, and establish socioeconomic factors associated with wasting among children under five years at Pager Division Kitgum Municipality. This study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study designed for children under five years among households in the pager division Kitgum municipality where 150 mothers of children selected using random sampling were interviewed. Data were collected using questionnaires, analyzed using the Epi Info program, and bi-variate analysis was used to determine the associated factors of wasting among children under five years. Results from the study analysis also confirmed how the child caretaker fed the child after six months, the type of food fed to a child at a meal, the amount the child’s caretaker earned per month, occupation of the mother, mother’s level of education, and the number of children under five years in a household were the most significant factors which affect malnutrition in children who were below 5 years of age in Kitgum Municipality. Results from the study confirmed that malnutrition was still high among children under five in the pager division Kitgum Municipality with wasting standing at 17.3% and high among children aged 6-11 months at 6%. The study recommended community nutritional interventions to address the root causes of malnutrition in regard to wasting. Similar community-based studies in the area of child nutrition are needed to determine the root causes of socio-economic and cultural drivers of malnutrition. Further research is needed to obtain an explanation regarding sex differentials with wasting across socio-economic strata.