Prevalence of under-nutrition among sick children and maternal awareness of their nutritional needs at the eldoret municipality health facilities

Abstract

Background: A major proportion of under-nutrition among sick children is associated with ignorance, family size, maternal and paternal education, poverty. The study aimed at investigating the prevalence of under-nutrition among sick children attending Eldoret Municipality Health facilities. Study design: Cross sectional survey. Study setting: Eldoret Municipality Health Facilities. Methods Questionnaires were used to collect data on maternal knowledge, anthropometric measurements were analyzed using the WHO Anthro calculator. Z-scores were used to determine prevalence of under nutrition. Summary statistics were generated using SPSS V.12. Results: Mean age (months) was 9.96(sd.4.7). More than half -53.6% children were stunted, 36.5% wasted while 22.8% underweight. 59.1% mothers chose vitamins as food group that is needed to boost the child’s immune system, 85.5% said the sick child loses nutrients. 268(70%) needed to know more on how nutrition of the sick child should be handled. Conclusion: Most of the stunted children were severely stunted. Although most mothers knew that the nutritional needs of the sick child are different and that they need vitamins to boost the immune system, they did not have a comprehensive knowledge on how to handle underweight, stunting and wasting. Most nutritional problems went unnoticed by the medical staff.