title: Recent illness, feeding practices and father's education as determinants of nutritional status among preschool children in a rural Nigerian community.
abstract: Good nutrition is necessary for the growth and development of preschool children. In sub-Saharan Africa, however, data on the determinants of their nutritional status are lacking. A cross-sectional survey of 366 preschool children was conducted in a rural community in northern Nigeria. Anthropometric measurements of the children were taken and information about feeding practices, immunization and parental education was obtained from their mothers. Fifty-two percent were stunted, 30% were underweight and 25% were wasted. Recent history of diarrhea was associated with wasting (OR = 2.66, p < 0.001). Children whose fathers had postsecondary education were less likely to be stunted (OR = 0.45, p = 0.01) or underweight (OR = 0.37, p = 0.005). Promoting exclusive breastfeeding, preventing recurrent diarrhea and including fathers in community interventions will improve the health of children in this community.
authors.affiliation: Division of Management, Policy and Community Health, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA Titilola.B.Balogun@uth.tmc.edu.
authors.forename: Titilola B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Balogun
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, PMB 06 Shika Zaria - Nigeria.
authors.forename: Alhassan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Yakubu
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005220:Fathers; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D012015:Reference Standards; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: anthropometry.; malnutrition; preschool children