Prevalence of Under Nutrition among Under Five Year Children in Ekpoma, Edo-Nigeria

Abstract

The nutritional status of under-five children is a reflection of the health of children in the community and this forms the basis for the development of success–oriented interventional programmes. This study therefore, determines the prevalence of under nutrition among under-five’s in Ekpoma -a community in central part of Edo state, Nigeria. It is a descriptive cross–sectional study of 402 under-five year children selected by systemic sampling method. Data collection was done by physical examination and interviewer-administered questionnaire. Their height and mid– upper arm circumference were also measured using tape-rule, while weight was measured using a standard electronic scale. The study was conducted between February, 2012 and April, 2012. The results showed that the prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting, was 2.5%, 12.4% and 9.5% respectively. Male under-five’s were more likely to be underweight (3.2%) and wasted (9.7%) compared to their female counterparts (2.2% and 9.4% respectively). On the other hand, female under-five’s were more stunted (12.9%) than the males (X %). Conclusively, the prevalence of under nutrition is low among under-five children in Ekpoma. However, the prevalence of stunting and its determinants require investigation.

Keywords: Nutritional status, Under-five year children, Ekpoma, Nigeria