ASSESSMENT OF THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF UNDERFIVE CHILDREN AND THEIR CAREGIVERS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF A UNICEF- FOCUS LGA WITH A NON-UNICEF- FOCUS LGA IN BAYELSA STATE

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition is a common global problem in the world that disproportionately affects women and children more in any society. Nutritional Intervention Programmes are a cost effective investment to improve the nutritional status of underfive and their mothers. Although, this has been part of the Nigerian public health system in the past decade, the programme takes place in just few communities called UNICEF FOCUS COMMUNITIES .There is paucity of data on the nutritional status of children and their caregivers in Bayelsa State among these population subgroups that are most vulnerable.
Objectives: This study was done to assess and compare the nutritional status of the underfive children and their caregivers in Toruorua and Gbaranbiri communities, in Bayelsa State of Nigeria.
Methodology: A comparative cross-sectional study involving underfive children and their caregivers in UNICEF focus and non UNICEF focus communities in Bayelsa State was carried out. A total sample size of 210 underfive children and caregivers respectively in the study area was arrived at using formula for comparing two proportions .Sampling was done by multistage sampling technique involving selection of LGAs,Wards,Communities and eligible households. Data on nutrition was collected with the aid of a structured pretested, interviewer administered questionnaire, a stadiometer, infant weighing scale, and bathroom scale adjusted on known weights daily. The weight and height recorded for each underfive and female caregiver in the questionnaire were converted to nutritional indices – weight for age, weight- for -length, weight-for-height, length – for –age, height- for- age and BMI- for- age for the underfive children and BMI for the female caregivers.
Results: There were no statistical differences in terms of age distribution and sex in both communities. The sex ratio of males to females was similar in both communities, 1:1.1 in Toruorua and 1:1.2 in Gbaranbiri. The prevalences of wasting among the underfive children in the UNICEF focus Community compared to the non UNICEF focus community were 5% and 20% respectively, with significant p -value of 0.003.This showed that acute undernutrition was more in the non UNICEF focus community with significant p-value of 0.003. The prevalences of underweight under
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five children in the UNICEF focus Community compared to the non UNICEF focus community were 9.5% and 17.1% respectively with p-value as 0.01 which was also significant .The prevalences of stunting in the UNICEF focus Community compared to the non UNICEF focus Community among the underfive children were 24.8% and 10.5% respectively with significant p-value of 0.01. Chronic undernutrition was more in the UNICEF focus community with significant p-value of 0.01. There was also the problem of overnutrition encountered in the non UNICEF focus Community among the under five children with a prevalence of 4.8% overweight and p-value of 0.01 which was significant. No child under five was overweight in the UNICEF Focus Community.. There were also more overweight caregivers in the non UNICEF focus community with prevalence of 43.8%, of which 36.2% was preobese and 7.6% obese while in the focus community, the prevalence of overweight among caregivers was 18.1% with 17.1% was preobese and 1% obese. These findings were significant, with p-value of 0.00. Household size was larger in the non UNICEF focus community with p-value of 0.01 which was significant, level of education was higher in the UNICEF focus community with p-value of 0.04 which was significant, and income per day was higher in the UNICEF focus community with p-value of 0.00 which was also significant. Preobese caregivers had a higher prevalence of obese under five children. Stunting and underweight underfive children were seen more from caregivers with normal BMI while wasted under five children were more from underweight caregivers
Conclusion: The prevalence of wasting and underweight were lower in the UNICEF focus community than the non UNICEF focus community which means because UNICEF intervened in UNICEF focus community they seem to have a better nutritional status. The prevalence of stunting was higher in the UNICEF focus community compared to the NON UNICEF focus community which meant longer intervention time was required for chronic nutritional status to begin to decline. The prevalence of overweight caregivers was lower in the UNICEF focus community than the non UNICEF focus community. This meant that there was more of the problem of overweight amongst caregivers in the non UNICEF focus community than the UNICEF focus community.

ASSESSMENT OF THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF UNDERFIVE CHILDREN AND THEIR CAREGIVERS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF A UNICEF- FOCUS LGA WITH A NON-UNICEF- FOCUS LGA IN BAYELSA STATE