Prevalence and factors associated with stunting among children aged 6-59 months in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement, Kyegegwa District

Abstract

Background: Stunting is a major problem among refugees in Uganda. The highest prevalence is reported in Kyaka II refugee settlement at a rate of 48.7% among children aged 6-59 months. Objective: To assess the prevalence and the risk factors associated with stunting among children aged 6-59 months in Kyaka II refugee settlement. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study conducted in September 2022 in Kyaka II refugee settlement. A total of 609 caregiver-child pairs of children aged 6-59 months were randomly selected and interviewed using structured questionnaires. Data was exported to the World Health Organization Anthro software and Stata 16 software for management and analysis. Ethical approval was attained from the Makerere School of Public Heath Higher Degrees Research and Ethics Committee, permission sought from the Office of the Prime Minister, and consent attained from the study participants. Results: The study found that 63.1% of the children aged 6-59 months in Kyaka II refugee settlement were stunted. Most, 89.2% (405/454) of the children were breastfeed within the first hour of birth. The majority, 93.8% (424/442) of the children were fed on colostrum and more than half, 56.3% (330/586) were exclusively breastfed. The vast majority, 96.1% (583/607) of the children however, did not meet the minimum acceptable diet. Factors found to be associated with stunting included; child’s age, children aged 24-59 months 1.81 were times as likely to be stunted compared to those aged 6-23 months (aPR=1.81; 95% CI: 1.45-2.27); and preterm children were 1.27 times as likely to be stunted compared to those born full-term (aPR=1.27; 95% CI: 1.02-1.59). Conclusion and recommendations: There was a very high rate of stunting among children aged 6-59 months in Kyaka II refugee settlement. Factors associated with stunting were age of the child, gestational age, and breastfeeding. Health workers in the settlement therefore, need to educate the mothers and caregivers on better feeding practices for children 6-59 months to improve dietary intake and breastfeeding practices so as to reduce stunting among refugees in the settlement.