Assessment of factors leading to malnutrition among children 0 – 5 years – case study of Nasarawa Lga, Kano state

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Abstract

Assessment of factors leading to malnutrition among children 0 – 5 years – case study of Nasarawa Lga, Kano state. Several kinds of research have been carried out to investigate malnutrition-dependent factors in different parts of the world especially developing countries (Mashal et al., 2008 Black et al., 2011 Action Against Hunger, 2012 Etim et al., 2017). Some authors have associated child factors such as sex, age, diseases and child position in a household with malnutrition (Baranwal et al., 2010 Nyaruhucha et al., 2006). In Sub-saharan Africa association has been established between nutritional status of children and birth weight (Wamani et al., 2007 Hien and Kam, 2008).  Some authors point to maternal literacy as having a significant impact on the nutrition of children (Sufiyan et al., 2012 National Population Commission, 2013). A good number of the researches have pointed to socio-economic/household factors which influence malnutrition. For example, poverty (Olanrewaja, 2011 Etim, 2016 Etim et al., 2017), family size (Chaudhury et al., 2009), household income and expenditure (Reutlinger and Selowsky, 1976), household food security and insecurity (Food and Agricultural Organization, 2008 Akinyele, 2009 Oquntin, 2010 Awoyemi et al., 2012 functional education (Chaudhury, 1983),  lack of access to food (Etim, 2016), socio-demographic factors (Etim, 2016), environmental factors (Climate Change, 2007) and wars and crisis in a country (Mashal et al., 2008), have all been recognized as malnutrition dependent factors. In conclusion, governments of developing countries and the global community should work together to remove these factors. .