Abstract:
Nutritional status of an individual depends on whether or not one is getting correct amounts
and types of the required nutrients failure to which malnutrition develops. Malnutrition
remains a public health concern as it affects a great number of children globally. Causes of
malnutrition may be immediate like inadequate food intake and diseases, underlying causes
such as inadequate care of women and children and poor health services or basic like socio economic and political causes. The main objective of this study was to determine the factors
associated with the nutritional status of children aged between three and five years in Kambi
Odha Sub-location of Isiolo County, Kenya. This study was a community-based cross sectional study which utilized both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Systematic
random sampling was used in selecting the study participants. A sample size of 196 children
was targeted. Questionnaires and focused group discussions were used to collect data from
amongst mothers of children aged 3-5years. Nutritional status, socio-demographic and
economic status, health related, food consumption, water consumption and sanitation status
data were collected. Data from the questionnaire was analyzed using descriptive statistics and
Chi-square test. Anthropometric data was analyzed using z-scores as standard reference as
recommended by WHO Test (2006). Data has been presented using tables, measures of
deviation, percentages, bar chart and pie chart. Data from the focus group discussions was
analyzed manually using thematic analysis. The prevalence of stunting (height-for-age),
underweight (weight-for-age) and wasting (weight-for height) was 17%, 9% and 2%
respectively. Factors significantly associated with poor nutritional status were the child’s
mother being a housewife (OR 6.7; 95% CI 1.3-19.9, p=0.0006), child’s mother having no
formal education (OR 6.2;95% CI 1.8-21.4, p=0.0040), head of the household being
employed (OR 3.3;95% CI 1.3-8.2, p=0.0116), mother’s child having 7 or more children (OR
6.6; 95% CI 1.7-26.4, p=0.0236),child having poor appetite (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1-8, p=0.0285),
husband determining the food to be bought or prepared in the household (OR7.1; 95% CI 2.7-
18.7, p< 0.0001), money determining the food to be prepared or bought (OR8.7; 95% CI 3.4-
22.1, p<0.0001), buying or borrowing water for household use (OR 4.8; 95% CI 1.7-13.9,
p=0.0039) and absence of own pit latrine within the compound (OR 4.2; 95% CI 1.3-13.3,
p=0.0155).Child malnutrition continue to be a public health concern as the study
demonstrated manageable and largely preventable factors such as environmental and family
as having higher association with poor nutritional status of the children. Poor nutritional
status of children mean continued and increased loss of productivity and lives given that
malnutrition has severe and even irreversible consequences. To achieve optimal results,
participation and involvement of mothers and other community stakeholders should be
established or strengthened towards addressing child malnutrition.