Original Research Article
Year: 2018 | Month: April | Volume: 8 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 175-184
Study the Food Habit and Nutritional Status of Mothers and Its Relation to Their Under-5 Child Health at Coastal Region (West Nalua)
Abu Shoeb Md. Touhiduzzaman1, Liton Chandra Sen2, Sujan Kanti Mali3, Sourav Debnath3, Israt Jahan Annee1, Subarna Ghosh1, Gazi Md. Mohaimin Alam1
1M.Sc., 2Assistant Professor,
Department of Community Health and Hygiene, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Patuakhali, Bangladesh.
3Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Food Analysis, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Patuakhali, Bangladesh.
Corresponding Author: Abu Shoeb Md. Touhiduzzaman
ABSTRACT
Background: Although child and maternal malnutrition has been reduced in Bangladesh, the prevalence of malnutrition is still high.
Objectives: The purpose of the research was to study the nutritional status of mothers and its contributing factors and to evaluate the effects of maternal nutritional status on child health.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-section study was carried out among 50 mothers and 76 under-5 children from the village West Nalua of Bakergonj upazila, Bangladesh, through self-administered structure questionnaire. The sample has been selected through random sampling technique.
Result: In the present study, it was found that out of 50 mothers, 14% undernourished on the basis of BMI as well as 10% undernourished based on MUAC. Besides, only 18% mothers received sufficient antenatal care while 30% didn’t. The analysis of mothers’ FCS (Food Consumption Score) showed that 86%had acceptable FCS and 14%were in borderline. Maternal BMI and MUAC were significantly correlated with mother’s FCS (Correlation co-efficient(r)=0.554, p-value<0.01 and r=0.757, p-value<0.01 respectively). Maternal MUAC also significantly correlated with family income and mother’s educational level (r=0.268 and p-value<0.05). However, the prevalence of under-5 children malnutrition was found: 21.1%wasting, 32.9%stunting and 22.4%underweight. Child MUAC was positively correlated (r=0.437, p-value<0.01) and WHZ-score (Weight-for-height z-score) was negatively correlated (r=-0.345, p-value<0.01) with his/her FCS. Child FCS and MUAC were significantly correlated with maternal FCS (r=0.313, p-value<0.01 and r=0.256, p-value<0.05 respectively).
Conclusion: The study concluded that maternal and child nutritional status was correlated with their food habits or dietary diversity and child nutritional status was correlated with maternal dietary diversity.
Key words: Food Consumption Score, MUAC, BMI, Dietary diversity, Nutritional status