Multilevel Analysis of Factors Associated with Wasting and Underweight among Children Under-Five Years in Nigeria
1
School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith NSW 2571, Australia
2
School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia
3
School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith NSW 2751, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2017, 9(1), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9010044
Received: 15 September 2016 / Revised: 29 November 2016 / Accepted: 3 January 2017 / Published: 8 January 2017
Wasting and underweight reflect poor nutrition, which in children leads to retarded growth. The aim of this study is to determine the factors associated with wasting and underweight among children aged 0–59 months in Nigeria. A sample of 24,529 children aged 0–59 months from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) was used. Multilevel logistic regression analysis that adjusted for cluster and survey weights was used to identify significant factors associated with wasting/severe wasting and underweight/severe underweight. The prevalence of wasting was 18% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 17.1, 19.7) and severe wasting 9% (95% CI: 7.9, 9.8). The prevalence of underweight was 29% (95% CI: 27.1, 30.5) and severe underweight 12% (95% CI: 10.6, 12.9). Multivariable analysis revealed that the most consistent factors associated with wasting/severe wasting and underweight/severe underweight are: geopolitical zone (North East, North West and North Central), perceived birth size (small and average), sex of child (male), place/mode of delivery (home delivery and non-caesarean) and a contraction of fever in the two weeks prior to the survey. In order to meet the WHO’s global nutrition target for 2025, interventions aimed at improving maternal health and access to health care services for children especially in the northern geopolitical zones of Nigeria are urgently needed.
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Keywords:
wasting; underweight; Nigeria; public health; malnutrition; multilevel analysis
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MDPI and ACS Style
Akombi, B.J.; Agho, K.E.; Merom, D.; Hall, J.J.; Renzaho, A.M. Multilevel Analysis of Factors Associated with Wasting and Underweight among Children Under-Five Years in Nigeria. Nutrients 2017, 9, 44.
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