Child nutritional status and maternal factors in an urban slum in Nairobi, Kenya.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between maternal factors and child nutritional status among children aged 6-36 months.


METHODS
Cross sectional descriptive survey.


METHODS
Urban slum settlement in Nairobi, Kenya.


METHODS
This study included a random sample of 369 households of mothers with children aged 6-36 months at the time of the study.


RESULTS
Maternal factors which showed a positive significant association with at least one of the three child nutritional status indicators (height for age, weight for age and weight for height) were birth spacing, parity, maternal education level and mothers marital status. Child spacing and parity emerged as the most important predictors of stunting among study children. Maternal nutritional status was also shown to be positively associated with child nutritional status. Maternal ill health had a negative effect on child nutritional status.


CONCLUSIONS
Maternal factors are an underlying cause of childhood malnutrition.
Thuita
F M
FM
Department of Community Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676, Nairobi, Kenya.
Mwadime
R K N
RK
Wang'ombe
J K
JK
D000328:Adult; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors