Journal of Community Medicine & Health Education
Open Access

Abstract

Malnutrition remains a major proxy determinant of child mortality common among under five children and account for about one-third of malnourished cases worldwide. This chronic condition is a severe public health problem in subSaharan Africa that requires continuous critical attention. This study explored maternal sensitive factors that are important in the etiology of malnutrition with urban slum setting. The study was conducted among 400 eligible households systematically samples at random. Analysis was based hierarchical regression with principal axis factoring for selective variables. Psychosocial indicators did not have any observable association with nutritional status. Seeking immediate medical attention from the nearest health facility (HSB-1) and Average duration of introducing a child to the first liguid in hours (FP-4) significantly reduced stunting. Clean my hands with running water and soap before feeding a child (FHP-1) significantly reduced stunting among other indicators. HSB-1 somehow increased stunting. Wasting was significantly reduced by HSB-1 but increased by consulting a private doctor to examine a child (HSB-3). Underweight had no association at all with all indicators of maternal factors except at crude odds ratio level where FHP-1and HSB-1 were somewhat associated with underweight. In conclusion, this study revealed that food hygiene practice, health seeking behavior and feeding practice were all significant associates of stunting (p<0.05). Wasting was only associated with health seeking behaviour (p<0.05) while underweight had association with food hygiene practice and health seeking behaviour (p<0.05). However, it is noted that in these factor domains only selected indicator measures exhibited significant associations.

Biography

David O. Okeyo is a Public Health Nutritionist and a Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI) established by an Act of Parliament No. 18, 2007. David served as a head of department of nutrition and health at Maseno University for a period of two and a half years. He has published over 30 articles in peer review journals and books in the area of disease prevention, public health and nutrition sensitive areas, both as a first author and as co-author. He has presented a number of papers as orals and posters at International and National conferences.
Email:jandigwa@yahoo.co.uk