Factors influencing child nutrition in Bugisu region, Uganda

Abstract

Malnutrition is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity among under-five children in Sub Saharan Africa. Therefore this research focuses on the factors influencing nutrition status and the gap in nutrition status of children in Bugisu region in Uganda. The main objective of the study was to assess the factors influencing nutrition status (used height-for-age as the variable for nutrition status) and the gap in nutrition status of children in Bugisu region in Uganda. The study adopted the Uganda Demographic and Health surveys design (UBOS & ICF INC, 2016). The study used secondary data of UDHS 2016. In order to test for relationship the study adopted the chi-square test. Results from the study showed that the highest proportion of respondents had attained primary education (63.6%) and were from rural areas (77.6%). The highest proportion also belonged to the middle wealth index (27.3%). Results also showed that majority of respondents were Anglican (35.9%) currently in union (63.6%) and were working (85.2%). At the second level of analysis, chi-square test was used to establish the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Results showed that there was no statistical significance between nutrition status and all other background characteristics of the respondent. The recommendations are the need for a bigger study to be carried out in the whole country covering more children to establish the determinants of under-five malnutrition. This is mainly due to the fact that there is no found significant relationship between nutrition and the background factors at Bugisu region level.