Malnutrition in Pre-school Children across Different Geographic Areas and Socio-Demographic Groups in Ghana
J E Ewusie1, J Beyene1,2, C Ahiadeke3,4
1Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
Insights
Child malnutrition in Ghana affects over a third of children under five, with stunting, underweight, and wasting being significant issues. Key risk factors include child
Area of Science:
- Child Health and Nutrition
- Public Health
- Global Health
Background:
- Malnutrition in children under five has profound, lifelong impacts on health, growth, and development.
- Despite existing interventions, childhood malnutrition remains a critical public health challenge in Ghana.
- Understanding the prevalence and determinants is crucial for effective public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of malnutrition (stunting, underweight, wasting) in Ghanaian children under five.
- To identify key socio-demographic and household factors associated with childhood malnutrition in Ghana.
- To inform targeted interventions and improve infant and young child feeding practices.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS).
- Employed multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors.
- Analyzed malnutrition prevalence across various population subgroups.
Main Results:
- Overall malnutrition prevalence was 35.6% among Ghanaian children under five.
- Specific forms of malnutrition included stunting (27.5%), underweight (13.8%), and wasting (8.9%).
- Child's gender and age, mother's education and nutritional status, and household wealth were significant risk factors.
Conclusions:
- High rates of childhood malnutrition persist in Ghana, necessitating enhanced awareness and interventions.
- Targeted strategies addressing identified risk factors are essential.
- Improved education on infant and young child feeding practices is critical for knowledge translation and impact.
Abstract:
Objective Malnutrition in children pervades all aspects of their health, growth, cognitive and social development and can lead to irreversible and lifelong effects. We examine the prevalence and determinants of malnutrition in children under 5 in the Ghanaian population. Methods Using data from the latest available Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS), we estimated and compared prevalence of malnutrition in children among the different subgroups of the population. We used multivariable logistic regression to identify potential factors associated with childhood malnutrition in Ghana. Results Overall, 35.6 % (95 % CI: 33.6, 37.6) of Ghanaian children under 5 years of age suffer from some form of malnutrition. Specifically, 27.5 % (95 % CI: 25.1, 28.7), 13.8 % (95 % CI: 12.5, 15.3), 8.9 % (95 % CI: 7.8, 10.2) were stunted, underweight and wasted, respectively. Results from the logistic regression indicate that gender and age of the child, educational and nutritional status of the mother, and financial status of the household are risk factors associated with childhood malnutrition in Ghana. Conclusions for Practice In view of the observed high rate of malnutrition among Ghanaian children despite the interventions that have been in place since the 1990s, there is a need for increased awareness and improved targeted interventions as well as knowledge translation tools including extensive education on infant and young child feeding practices.
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