Influence of household socio-economic characteristics and food intake on nutritional status of children aged 6-59 months from banana-dependent households in Izimbya ward, Tanzania

Abstract

A child’s entire life is largely determined by the food consumed during his first years of life. Since childhood is the most vulnerable phase in human life, nutritional inadequacies may hamper the development of the body. The nutritional status results from nutrient intakes and their interaction with other factors. Children under five require increased iron intake for rapid growth; however, insufficient absorbable iron intake leads to iron deficiency, which has health consequences such as increased perinatal mortality, delayed mental and physical development, negative behavioral consequences, and impaired physical performance. Some of these negative effects of iron deficiency are irreversible and lead to poor school performance and decreased productivity later in life. The WHO estimates that about 190 million children under five are vitamin A deficient, with about 5.2 million affected by night blindness. Children in this age group have increased vitamin A requirements to support rapid growth and fight infections. Severe vitamin A deficiency can cause visual impairments, anaemia and weakened immunity. The human body needs to have a sufficient amount of protein daily to support the growth and maintenance of various body functions. Insufficient protein intake may cause many health complications such as swelling, fatigue, skin problems, irritability, muscle wasting and eventual death from infections. In Tanzania, poor nutritional status is largely driven by food insecurity; hence, consumption of a diverse diet is critical and essential to alleviate micro and macronutrient deficiencies. In Northwestern Tanzania, some households are mostly dependent on banana as their staple food. This study aimed to investigate the influence of household socio-economic characteristics, food and nutrient intake on the nutritional status of children aged 6-59 months from banana-dependent households. The study setting was Izimbya Ward in Bukoba Rural District Tanzania; a cross-sectional study design was adopted. A sample of 206 households were randomly selected and their caregivers recruited into the study. These caregivers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to collect information on socio-economic status, trends in food availability and frequency of food consumption, dietary diversity and iron, vitamin A and protein intake. In addition, anthropometric measurements were taken using a portable weighing machine, a height board and MUAC tape. Logistic and linear regression, was used to establish the association between nutritional status and household socio-economic characteristics and food and nutrient intake. Socio-economic characteristics of the households were mostly low. This study showed that 34% of children aged 6-59 months were moderately stunted, 27.4% were underweight and 12.8% were wasted. 58.5% of the households recorded low dietary diversity. Nutrient intake shortfalls results were 26.2% in vitamin A, 51.9% in iron, and 30.1% in protein shortfalls. All variables investigated showed that low economic status and low dietary diversity contributed to poor nutritional status of the children. These results highlight the need for government interventions to educate and provide subsidies for rural households to access foods that offer more diversity especially sustainable sources of iron and proteins.