Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: October | Volume: 9 | Issue: 10 | Pages: 275-280
Association of Children’s Nutritional Status with Caregivers’ Hygiene and Sanitation Conditions in Kiandutu Informal Settlements, Kiambu County, Kenya
Peris Mwangi1, Dr. John Paul Oyore2, Dr. Eunice Njogu3
1Research Scholar, 2Senior Lecturer,
Department of Community Health & Epidemiology, Kenyatta University, Kenya, P.O BOX 43844-00100, Nairobi, Kenya,
3Lecturer, Department of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Kenyatta University, Kenya, P.O BOX 43844-00100, Nairobi, Kenya,
Corresponding Author: Peris Mwangi
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Childhood malnutrition increases the risk of infections, morbidity and mortality in association with decreased mental and cognitive development. Poor conditions of WASH lead to infectious disease, especially diarrhoea, causing nutrient malabsorption and poor appetite and consequently undernutrition.
Methods: the study was a cross sectional analytical study design with a sample size of 165 caregivers with their children aged 6-59 months. The caregivers were randomly within the Kiandutu Informal Settlement. Semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather hygiene and sanitation information from the caregivers. Children’s height, weight and MUAC measurements were obtained. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22.
Results: the nutritional status prevalence for the children was 33.3%, 15.1% and 8.8% for stunting, underweight and wasting respectively. The study results showed that the caregivers had low (88.1%) and moderate (11.9%) knowledge in WASH. Caregivers’ WASH practices were also poor: only 23.9% got drinking water from piped water, 61.6% did not treat drinking water before consumption, 71.9% did not have access to a latrine and 55% of those who washed hands used water only.
Conclusion: the study established association between WASH knowledge and some practices among the caregivers with the child’s nutritional status. In addition, the nutritional status prevalence was also high above the national rates, this indicated that undernutrition is a major public health problem in informal settlements.
Key words: child, caregiver, undernutrition, hygiene, sanitation