Factors Associated with Undernutrition among Children 6-59 Months of Age in Central River Region, the Gambia

Fatou A. Darboe¹, Evelyn Anuli Uyamadu^2, and Buba Manjang³

¹School health and nutrition unit, Directorate of Health Promotion and Education, Ministry of Health, Central Medical Stores, kotu, The Gambia

²Department of Public and Environmental Health, School of Medicine and Allied Health Science, the University of the Gambia

³Ministry of Health and Social welfare, The Gambia

Cite this paper:
Fatou A. Darboe, Evelyn Anuli Uyamadu and Buba Manjang. Factors Associated with Undernutrition among Children 6-59 Months of Age in Central River Region, the Gambia. American Journal of Public Health Research. 2025; 13(4):188-198. doi: 10.12691/ajphr-13-4-7

Abstract

Introduction: Malnutrition remains a significant public health issue that mostly affects women and children across the world. Childhood undernutrition has a negative and permanent effect on a child's development and has a significant impact on a person's chance of dying throughout their lifetime. The prevalence of undernutrition (stunting, wasting, and underweight) in children 6 to 59 months in The Gambia is 35%. The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with undernutrition among children aged 6 to 59 months in the Central River Region (CRR). Methodology: Selected communities in the Kuntaur and Janjanbureh LGAs in CRR participated in a community-based cross-sectional survey. Anthropometric measurements were taken after semi-structured questionnaires that had been pre-tested were given to 409 mothers and caregivers of children between the ages of 6 and 59 months. Chi-square at P-value ≤0.05 and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: In this study, the prevalence of undernutrition in CRR was determined to be 109 (26.7%), of which 29 (7.1%) had SAM and 80 (73.35%) had MAM. At the time of this investigation, only 3 (0.7%) children had bilateral pitting edema. The child's weight and height, maternal and paternal education levels, birth interval, family type, and size, as well as availability and WASH practices, were significantly linked to undernutrition among children aged 6-59 months in the CRR. Other factors included diversified complementary foods, frequency of giving complementary foods, maternal nutrition education, maternal knowledge of signs and symptoms of malnutrition, and birth interval. Conclusions: According to this study, MAM cases outnumbered SAM cases. Stunting , wasting, and underweight were found to be the most prevalent types of undernutrition in CRR. To prevent undernutrition in CRR, interventions like rigorous sensitizations on personal hygiene, ideal nursing techniques, and other family members' support in child care are crucial.

Keywords:
Prevalence Undernutrition factors associated Children 6-59 months The Gambia

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