Nutritional status, feeding practices and state of other related indicators at onset of a multi-model community nutrition intervention program in Mpigi District, Uganda

Abstract

Introduction: In Uganda, malnutrition level has persistently remained high among the under-fives and this has led NGOs like World Vision, Uganda into finding innovative ways for intervention. This paper presents an assessment of nutrition status and values of related indicators at onset of a community intervention program in four sub-counties of Mpigi district in Central Uganda.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study to provide baseline information for a nutrition intervention. The study units were index children aged 6-59 months from 818 households. Face to face interviews were conducted using semi-structured questionnaires. Values of key indicators were computed and compared between designated control and intervention areas. Results: Stunting level was 32% while wasting was 3% and underweight at 10%. Most of the index children (78%) started breastfeeding within the first hour of birth. Nearly a third of the households visited had a kitchen garden and this did not differ by intervention status. Conclusion: Like at regional level, nutrition status and feeding practices in the study area were poor. The values of these indicators did not significantly change by designated intervention status. Much effort was needed to realize a difference in nutrition and feeding practices in designated intervention areas.

Healthcare providers and caregivers’ perspectives on factors responsible for persistent malnutrition of under 5 children in Buhweju district, South Western Uganda; a phenomenological qualitative study

“…7 Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. 8 Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.…”

“…Although all regions of Uganda have registered unacceptably high levels of childhood malnutrition over the years, the distribution has not been even [ 8 ]. The western region of Uganda has persistently registered the highest levels of childhood malnutrition, yet, this is the region with plentiful food production and is sometimes referred to as “the food basket” of the country [ 9 , 10 ].…”

Healthcare providers and Caregivers’ perspectives on factors underlying the persistent malnutrition of Children aged 0-59 months in Buhweju district, southwestern Uganda

“…Although all regions of Uganda have registered unacceptably high levels of childhood malnutrition over the years, the distribution has not been even (8). A 2017 report noted that approximately, 11 percent of all children were underweight and 2 percent severely underweight with children in rural areas slightly more likely than those in urban areas to be underweight (11 percent and 8 percent, respectively)(9).…”