Malnutrition is a disease of Public Health importance hindering the success of MDGs 4 & 5. The disease continues claiming the lives of majority of children under five years globally, especially in Africa. A cross-sectional study was designed for 386 mothers with children less than 5 years to explore the association between dietary intake and hygienic practices at Ahafo-Ano North District, in Ashanti Region of Ghana. Simple random sampling, systematic and purposive sampling techniques were used to choose mothers with children under five years from 5 selected communities for the administration of questionnaire and taking of children’s MUAC. At the end of the study, the study found 6.7% of the under five children at Ahafo Ano North district were severely malnurished 43.8% mildely or moderately malnurished and the remaining 49.5% also found to be normal. The study also found relationship between vitamins, initiation time of water, kind of food introduced during weaning and malnutrition. Finding however showed a significant relationship between mothers decision child feeding, forbidden foods and fetching of water by children and malnutrition. On socio-economic status of mother’s relationship with malnutrition, mothers occupation, age, marital status and religion were all found to be associated with malnutrition. From the study, environmental factors such as defecating place of the household, closeness of toilet to the kitchen, washing of hands by mothers before feeding and storing place of cooked food were all found. Based on the findings, it was recommended that, the District Health Directorate should educate mothers/caregivers on appropriate feeding practices needed to improve child’s growth in order to promote children’s nutritional status. 

Based on the above calculations, it stands to reason that the sample size should be larger than this to make room for non-response error, the researcher therefore used 386 mothers whose children (under- two years) have ever suffered from malnutrition before; or are suffering from malnutrition; or are not suffering from malnutrition; in order to get a true reflection of children 0-59 months of age. Also, 386 children were selected for their data on mid-upper arm circumference and age to help determine children that were malnourished. The child health records were reviewed to support the data gathered from each household. Physical conditions of the children were also observed for more information.

Each community in the 5 sub-districts constituted 77 respondents (mothers with children under 2 years). Respondents were selected using systematic and simple random sampling technique. Thus, for the systematic sampling technique, the researcher stood in front of the Roman Catholic Church and counted 4 houses, this was used as the startup and subsequently each fourth house in the community was involved in the study. In an instance whereby there is no under 5 child in the fourth house, the nearest house with a qualified child was used and the next fourth house located for the study. In houses where mothers with children less than five years of age were more than one, the researcher used simple random sampling technique to select one from the two or three. Thus, a coin was tossed and a mother who chose the head was involved in the study. This was repeated throughout till the researcher obtained the entire sample size for each community.

The purposive sampling technique was used in selecting the 10 communities in the six sub-districts in Ahafo-Ano North District; with 2 communities in each sub-district. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the 10 community since the communities were noted to be areas where malnutrition is predominant found in the district.

This study was aimed at determining the dietary intake practices and hygienic practices that predispose children under five at Ahafo Ano North District to Malnutrition. At the end of the study, 6.7% of the under five children at Ahafo Ano North district were found to be severely malnurished, 43.8% mildely or moderately malnurished and the remaining 49.5% normal. On the relationship between diatary intake and malnutrition, vitamins, initiation time of water, kind of food introduced during weaning were all found to be significantly related to malnutrition. On the relationship between household factors and malnutrition, size of children per household was found to have no significant relationship with malnutrition. Finding however showed a significant relationship between mothers decision child feeding, forbidden foods and fetching of water by children and malnutrition. On socio-economic status of mother’s relationship with malnutrition, mothers occupation, age, marital status and religion were all found to be associated with malnutrition. From the study, environmental factors such as defecating place of the household, closeness of toilet to the kitchen, washing of hands by mothers before feeding, storing place of cooked food, access to healthcare (CWC) and unhygienic nature of the environment were found to be related to malnutrition.

With Regards,
Joseph Kent
Journal Manager
Journal of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics