Association between Intra-Household food distribution and nutritional status of children under 5 years in Abim District, Uganda

Abstract

The study assessed the association between Intra-household food distribution and nutritional Status of children under five years in Otumpili village, Alerek sub-county, Abim district. The study objectives were; 1) to assess the factors influencing intra-household food distribution, 2) to examine the nutritional status of children under five years among the households, and 3) to assess the relationship between intra-household food distribution and the nutritional status of children under five years in the study area. The applied crossectional quantitative design associated with positivist philosophy. Data were collected from a sample of 106 respondents using questionnaires. Data was analyzed quantitatively using SPSS V24. The findings revealed that the factors that significantly influence intra-household food distribution are; occupation (P=0.021), family type (P=0.001), household head (P=0.000). Age of the spouse, household size, number of children and number of visitors were insignificantly related to intra-household food distribution. The nutritional status of children under 5 years, results indicated that majority of the children (44.3%) were normal, 20.8% were stunted, and 18% underweight, 9.4% wasted and the least 7.5% were overweight. Only household food type consumed (P=0.053) had influence on the nutritional status. The study concluded that malnutrition of under five in Otumpili village, Alerek sub-county, Abim district is moderate. The study therefore recommends that further research should be done determining the overall prevalence of malnutrition of under 5 so as to help the government to understand the state of nutrition and plan well while budgeting for food relief for the sub-county/district, similar study should also be done country wide to know the nutritional status of children such that the country can plan how to have a healthy population as most economists have said that a flourishing economy is characterized by a health population and new study should be done to isolate food types associated with each of the malnutrition condition such that information can be availed to nutritionists which would help them to draw an informed child’s nutrition plan