Prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among children 6-59 months: A comparative study in commercial sugarcane and non-sugarcane growing households in Luuka District

Abstract

There has been an increase in undernutrition reported among children in Luuka district as sugarcane growing has been at a drastic increase. This study sought to compare the prevalence of undernutrition and to assess the child feeding and care practices among children 6-59 months living in sugarcane and non-sugarcane growing households, and the factors associated to undernutrition in the district. The study was a cross sectional design with a comparative analysis, and it applied quantitative methods of data collection. Survey and anthropometric data was collected during the study. Household survey data was collected using a structured household survey questionnaire electronically programmed using the Open Data Collection Kit (ODK) application, whereas the anthropometric data which included the weight, height and age of the child, was collected using the salter weighing scale 0-25kg weighing range, and the Height boards. An independent t-test was used to compare the prevalence of undernutrition between sugarcane and non-sugarcane growing households, whereas descriptive statistics were used to assess the feeding and care practices of children, and the bivariate and the logistic regression model analysis to determine the factors associated with undernutrition. The study assessed undernutrition among children 6-59 months on the three parameters of underweight, stunting, and wasting. Results revealed that underweight and sugarcane growing are statistically significantly associated with a p value of 0.002. According to the results, 14.71% and 10.91% of the children in Luuka district living in sugarcane growing and non-sugarcane growing households, respectively, are underweight. Relatedly, there was an association (P= .037) between sugarcane growing and stunting with a prevalence of 37% children living in sugarcane growing households and 30.8% in non-sugarcane growing households. However, there was no difference in the prevalence of wasting among children since 7% and 6.91% of children living in sugarcane growing and non-sugarcane growing households respectively, were found to be wasted. This was also evidenced by the p value of 0.321. Results showed family size (P=.016), household economic status (P=.045), household food security (P=.001), and the food consumption score of a household (P=.039) as the main factors significantly associated with undernutrition among children 6-59 months in Luuka district. Nevertheless, there was no significant association found between sugarcane growing and the child feeding and care practices among households in the district. Therefore, sugarcane growing is associated with undernutrition among children 6-59 months in Luuka district. For that reason, there is need to encourage households to have smaller family sizes and to improve food consumption; support households to start up income generating activities to increase household income; encouraging households into livestock rearing as an option to limited availability of land for farming; and a need for providing nutritional education and appropriate child feeding practices to the mothers. Meanwhile, further research to assess the nutritional status of adults living in sugarcane and non-sugarcane growing households, and how that affects the nutritional status of children, is necessary.