Description
Perception of mothers on effects of malnutrition on under-five children in General Hospital Idah, Kogi state.
Abstract
Malnutrition is preventable, yet remains a major public health challenge. This condition affects one in five children and contributes to nearly half of all deaths during childhood globally. This research study was a descriptive survey carried out to assess the perception of mothers on the effects of malnutrition on under-five children in General Hospital Idah, Kogi State. The objectives of the study were to identify the effects of malnutrition on under-five as perceived by the mothers in GHI, to assess and determine the influence of cultural belief on the perception of mothers on malnutrition of under-five, and to determine the influence of cultural belief on the perception of mothers on malnutrition of under-five. 52 respondents were used for the research. The information from the research was manually analyzed and presented using frequency tables and bar charts. Hypotheses were tested using chi-square at 0.05 level of significance. The analysis revealed that 60% of the respondents agreed that if a child is not breastfed well during the first six month of life can make the child undernourished. The majority of the participants with 54% of the respondents agreed that a child from an illiterate mother is more likely to be undernourished than a child from a literate mother. Majority of the participants with 42% strongly agreed that malnutrition can lead to stunted growth where a child does not reach their full height potential. There is no significant relationship between the cultural background and fathers’ knowledge and involvement in pre and postnatal care. And it was recommended that Health education should be given to enlighten mothers on the causes, prevention and possible treatment of malnutrition. And nurses should get involved with the community and find out the food stuffs available and how the food is prepared..
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