FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO MALNUTRITION AMONG CHILDREN UNDER-FIVE YEARS IN SSABAGABO MAKINDYE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL, WAKISO DISTRICT

Abstract

Worldwide, around 45% of deaths among children less than five years of age are linked to under nutrition and in Africa. This research attempts to assess factors contributing to malnutrition among children under-five years in Makindye Ssabagabo Municipal council, Wakiso district. The broad objective was to assess determine the factors influencing to malnutrition among children under 5 years in Ssabagabo Makindye Municipal council, wakiso District in order to furnish stakeholders with the relevant information to be used to design appropriate interventions aimed at reducing prevalence of malnutrition among the under-fives. The Specific Objectives was to assess the level of knowledge and awareness on malnutrition among children under 5 years in Ssabagabo municipal council, Wakiso District, to assess socio-economic factors associated with malnutrition among children under 5 years in Ssabagabo Makindye municipal council, Wakiso District and also to assess maternal related factors associated with malnutrition among children less than 5 years in Ssabagabo Makindye municipal, Wakiso District. The study design was a cross-sectional study because it allowed the use of both quantitative and qualitative analysis where the researcher was concerned with the observations, descriptions, comparisons and analysis of level of community awareness the knowledge and descriptive because it further expounded on the socio-economic and maternal factors associated with malnutrition in less than 5 years children. This study employed stratified random sampling and simple random sampling techniques to determine the respondents. This was applied by classifying residents in stratum according to their villages and then randomly selected by simple random sampling. The sample size of the study was 100 respondents which was estimated using Glen Disraeli’s formula The researcher used questionnaires method to collect data which was analyzed and represented it inform of tables, charts and graphs by use of Microsoft excel to ensure clarity of data collected On knowledge and awareness, results indicated that almost all 98% (98/100) of the mothers to the under five children had ever heard about malnutrition but only less than half 35% (35/100) of the mothers to the under five children described balanced diet as Meal rich all food values. In regards to socio-economic factors, more than half 54% (54/100) of the mothers to the under five children agreed that their cultural believes have an impact on their children’s nutritional health and about half 46% (46/100) of the mothers to the under five children stated that sometimes their children ate less than they felt they had to eat due lack of enough food. Results on maternal related factors indicated least 24% (24//100) of the mothers to the under-fives children stated that children had an average weight at birth that was less than 1.5 years and 40% (40/100) of the mothers of the under five children weaned their children between 4-6 months In conclusion, there, the mothers had heard about malnutrition from the media and health workers but there is a room for need of more efforts by the policy makers to establish appropriate policies regarding means of increasing nutritional health education. The researcher therefore recommends the policy makers should make more community nutrition support programs that will be in close reach to all mothers of the under five children so as carry out nutritional health education.