The influence of birth weight on under-five children’s nutritional status in Zambia
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Date
2019
Authors
Kunda, Salaza
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
This study aimed at investigating the influence of birthweight on under–five children’s nutritional status in Zambia. The study also investigated maternal health, child, household and mother’s characteristics as they indirectly influence birthweight and nutritional status of children. Knowledge generated from this study is an important requirement for an enabling environment for developing effective nutritional intervention strategies for pregnant women malnutrition reduction in Zambia.
The Zambia Demographic and Health Survey child dataset of 2013/14 and Stata 14.0 were used for the analysis. Descriptive analysis; bivariate and multivariate using binary logistic regression, producing Odds Ratios of Stunting, Underweight and Wasting among under-five children associated with birthweight were used. The sample included Children aged 0–59 months of age, women aged 15–49 years of age for whom complete and plausible anthropometric data were collected and that children had their birthweight reported. Children with underweight birthweight were the reference category.
Results show that most of the under five children had a normal birthweight. More than half of the children were males and more were from rural areas. Bivariate results show that children with normal birthweight were less stunted, underweight and wasted. Children whose mothers took Iron tablets were less underweight and those whose mothers took anti-malaria drugs were less stunted and less underweight and for those who took Vitamin A were less wasted. Children whose households had no improved source of water and shared toilet facility were more likely to be stunted, underweight and wasted. Children whose mothers had one or more births in the last year were more likely to be stunted, underweight and wasted. Additionally, results from multivariate analysis showed that children in rural areas, regions were stunting, underweight and wasting is high and those in poor wealth quintile household were more likely to be stunted, underweight and wasted than children in urban areas, regions were stunting, underweight and wasted is low, middle and rich wealth quintile households. Children whose mothers had secondary education or higher and normal BMI, overweight and obese were significantly less stunted, underweight and wasted.
The findings of this study have led to a conclusion that birthweight influences the nutritional status of under-five children and that maternal food supplements, age of the child and sex, BMI, residence, wealth quintile, education level, number of children a woman has in the past year and ever born, affect birth outcome and nutritional status of children.
Recommendation from this study include; investing in strategies that support adequate nutrition before and during pregnancy such as the 1000 most critical days of life, led by SUN, Maternal, Adolescent, Infant and Young Child Nutrition, management of severe acute malnutrition, Nutrition and HIV programme, School health Nutrition and Food and National Security programme. Further studies such as qualitative, cohort and longitudinal studies be carried out in Zambia on the influence of birth weight on nutritional status of children. A study that can follow up a cohort of women while pregnant and children from birth to five years.
Keywords: Birth weight, nutritional status, stunting, underweight and wasting.
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Thesis
Keywords
Birth weight-- Nutritional status , Stunting-- Underweight and wasting--Zambia