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Perceived Causes And Prevention Of Malnutrition Among Primary School Pupils
[A CASE STUDY ILORIN EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KWARA STATE]
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Surprisingly, Ghana has not seen much improvement in childhood malnutrition and mortality even with the remarkable gains in health infrastructure and investment since independence. Gains in pre-school malnutrition in post-independent era were reversed at the turn of the 21st century (Ghana Statistical Service, 2004). The past decade has witnessed an increasing trend of stunting but a slight decrease in underweight and wasting among children 5 year of and younger in Ghana (Ghana Statistical Service, 2004; Shepherd et al.,2006). The prevalence of childhood malnutrition is disproportional according to region and socio-economic satus of the family, as well as ecological zone with little known about children from semi-rural farming communities (Wagstaff and watanabe, 2000;Hong, 2006). Previous studies have also linked childhood malnutrition with maternal education and employment, family support and social network (Frongillo et al., 1997; owor et a., 2004). I is therefore important to identify and understand factors that put children from rural or farming communities at a greater risk of malnutrition in early childhood compared to their urban counterparts.
Malnutrition among Children and its influence on body
Malnutrition in all its forms amounts to an intolerable burden not only on the health systems, but the entire socio-cultural and economic fabric of the society and is the greatest obstacle to the fulfillment of human potentials. Child malnutrition is a huge public health problem in Africa that is not property given the priority that it deserves. Malnutrition is largely a preventable and treatable cause of childhood morbidity and mortality that can be dealt with for less than USD 20 per child per year (chaiabi et al., 2008). According to WHO malnutrition accounts for 6.6 million out of 12.2 million death among children under 5 (54% of child mortality) in developing countries.
In Nigeria and elsewhere about 35.7% and 47.5% of children under 5 years of age are moderately to severely undernourished respectively (Solomon, 1985; Roy et al., 2007). It is known that almost any illness will impair a child’s growth, however in practice in developing countries, growth deficits are caused by interplay of two preventable factors: inadequate food and infections influence body size and growth through their effects on metabolism and additionally, UNICEF conceptual frame work also recognizes poor caring practices as equally important cause of malnutrition (UNICEF,1990).
Environmental factors have a profound effect on health and can make nutritional problems worse. A child who is well fed but drinks contaminated water and lives in polluted environment will not grow up healthy (UN, 2004). Studies have shown the association between increasing severity of anthropometric deficits and mortality and substantial contributions are made by all degrees of malnutrition to child mortality Pelletier et al., 1993; Schroeder and Brown, 1994; Pelletier et al., 1995; Mendez and Adair, 1999; de Onis et al., 2000). Strong evidence exists that poor growth is associated with delayed mental development and that there is a relationship between impaired growth status and both poor school performance and reduced intellectual performance, thus compromising the efforts to achieve universal education (MDG -1) (Martorell et al., 1992; PAHO, 1998; UN, 2004; Cesar et al., 2008). Nutritional status is the best global indicator of growth and well – being in children. Anthropometric assessment thus remains the most practically useful means of evaluating the health and nutritional status of children, just as it provides an indirect measurement of the quality of life of an entire population.
Reducing Malnutrition among Children
Reducing malnutrition among children under the age of five remains a huge challenge in developing countries of the world. An estimated 230 million under five children are believed to be malnourished in developing countries (Van de Poel et. Al., 2008). Similarity, about 54% of deaths among children of this age group are believed to be associated with malnutrition in developing countries (FAO, 2008). In Sub-Saharan Africa, 41% of under-five children are malnourished and deaths from widespread in Nigeria, especially in rural areas. This is partly due to inadequate food and nutrient supply. The 2003 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey revealed that 38% of under – five children in Nigeria in stunted, 29% underweight and 9.2% wasted (Ajieroh, 2010).
The 2004 Food Consumption and Nutrition Survey reported similar trends with 42% stunted, 25% underweight and 9% wasted (Ajieroh, 2010). These surveys indicated significant variation between the rural and urban areas with children from $l.prural areas worse affected by malnutrition. Malnutrition is insufficient, excessive or im4balance consumption of dietary energy and nutrients. It manifests in different forms, such as under nutrition, over nutrition and micronutrients malnutrition (Smith and Haddad, 1999). Malnutrition in early childhood is associated with functional impairment in adult life as malnourished children are physically and intellectually less productive when they become adults (Smith and Haddad, 1999).
Children that are malnourished tend to have increased risk of morbidity and mortality and often suffer delayed mental development, poor school performances and reduced intellectual achievement. Many empirical studies have looked into issues of food security and nutrition in Nigeria (e.g. Babatunde et al., 2007). However, little effort had been devoted to examining the determinants of malnutrition among under – five children of farming households. What is more common is a baseline survey of malnutrition among selected population of children to establish the proportion that is malnourished. This is the research gap which this study hopes to fill. An understanding of the determinants of malnutrition is imperative if the current high rate of malnutrition is to be reduced. The study can provide information that can be used for nutritional surveillance and targeting programmes that would focus more on populations most affected. The study also makes important contribution to literature by analyzing nutritional status as a non – monetary measure of poverty which is a recent innovation in the literature. This is based on the argument that nutritional status is a different dimension of welfare (capability deprivation) from income and expenditure. In addition, individual well – being in the form of nutritional status can be directly observed as opposed to household well – being. Monetary comparisons of welfare over time are hampered by the absence of reliable and verifiable deflate reducing malnutrition among children under the age of five remains a huge challenge in developing countries ofrs, and information collected in surveys is often inadequate to solve this problem (Kabubo – Mariara, et al 2006).
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]ABSTRACTThe study examined the incidence of malnutrition among children in Ilorin East Local Government area of Kwara State. The objective of the study is to explore sickness as a result of malnutrition among children, investigate the majority of children as a result of the malnutrition among children, low body resistance to diseases, stunted growth as a result of malnutrition among children and succumb to infections as a result of malnutrition among children in Ilorin East Local Government Area ... Continue reading---
TABLE OF CONTENTS - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]TABLE OF CONTENTContents Title page Certification Dedication Acknowledgement Abstract Chapter One INTRODUCTION Background of the Study Statement of the Problem Purpose of the Study Research Questions Research Hypothesis Significance of the Study Delimitations of the Study Operational Definition of Term Chapter Two INTRODUCTION Introduction Definition of the Concept Malnutrition Malnutrition in AfricaMalnutrition among children and its Influence on Body Reducing Malnutritio ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER ONE - [ Total Page(s): 3 ]Infections influence body size and growth through their effects on metabolism and nutrition. Additionally, UNICEF conceptual framework also recognize poor caring practices as equally important cause of malnutrition (UNICEF, 1990). Environmental factors have a profound effect on health and can make nutritional problems worse. A child who is well fed but drinks contaminated water and lives in polluted environment will not grow up healthy (UN, 2004). Studies have shown the association between i ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER THREE - [ Total Page(s): 2 ]Reliability of the Instrument Reliability has to do with the consistency of the result, According to Koul (2001), Rose, (2001) is the stability, dependability and predictability of the tests or of the method been used. The reliability of an instrument is the degree to which it yields consistent results, when it is administered over a numbers of times. The researcher employed test retest method to find the reliability of the instrument. The researcher administered sample of twenty (20) ques ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER FOUR - [ Total Page(s): 5 ]Test of Hypotheses Hypothesis One Ho1: Sickness is not a significant result of malnutrition among children in Ilorin West local Government Area.Table 2 showed chi – square summary of sickness and malnutrition among children in Ilorin west Local Government Area, The calculated value is 71.866 and the table value is 16.92, degree of freedom of 9 at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The decision is to reject the null hypotheses if the calculated value is greater than cri ... Continue reading---
CHAPTER FIVE - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]CHAPTER FIVESUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMANDATION Summary The study investigated the incidence of malnutrition among children in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara state. Data collected from two hundred (200) respondents was presented with appropriate tables with the use of frequency count and percentages while five hypothesis were tested in study the use of chi-square (x2) statistical method at 0.05 significance level. It has been able o found out in the study influence of sickness, in ... Continue reading---
REFRENCES - [ Total Page(s): 2 ]REFERENCESAjieroh, V. (2010). A Quantitative Analysis of Determinations of child and Maternal Malnutrition in Nigeria IFPRI Nigeria Strategy Support Program Brief No. 11, 2010.Alaimo, Katherine, Christine M. Olson, and Edward A. Fronggillo Jr.(2001). ‘’Food Insufficiency and American School-Aged Children’s Cognitive, Academic, and Psychosocial Development.’’ Pediatrics 108(1): 44-53.Babatunde, R.O. & Qaim, M. (2010). Impact of Off – farm income on Food Se ... Continue reading---
