Assessment of Morbidity Status of Children Aged 6-59 Months in Kericho County, Kenya

Abstract

Background: The growth and well-being of a child is dependent on their eating habits. One of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Kenya and countries worldwide is poor nutritional status. There are few studies on factors affecting the nutritional status among children aged 6 and 59 months in Kenya, even though malnutrition is a major cause of illness and mortality in these groups. Consequently, this research set out to identify the factors that influence the nutritional status of children in Kericho County, Kenya, ranging from six months to five years.

Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional analytical design to uncover factors influencing the nutritional status of children attending outpatient child welfare clinics at Kericho County Referral Hospital and Kapkatet Sub-County Hospital.

Results: A sample of 172 children was chosen through systematic random sampling, and data was collected using a structured questionnaire. Analysis involved ENA for SMART for anthropometric data and Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 27 for all other variables. Findings revealed that 75 (43.6%) children were aged between 24 and 59 months, and 88 (51.2%) were male. Additionally, approximately two-thirds of caregivers had attained secondary education (n=77, 44.8%). Stunting was prevalent in 25% of the children, while both wasting and underweight affected 23.8%. Morbidity data revealed that 45.3% of children had been sick in the past month, with varying durations of symptoms. Children whose caregivers lacked formal education were more likely to be underweight (AOR=0.70, 95% CI: 1.82-2.99, p = 0.01). Delayed introduction to complementary food reduced the likelihood of wasting and stunting (AOR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.05-0.91, p = 0.03) and (AOR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.16-1.08, p = 0.04) respectively. Children experiencing symptoms for over 6 days were more likely to be underweight (AOR = 1.27, 95% CI: 0.98-2.66, p = 0.01), and those not sick in the past month were less likely to be stunted (AOR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.27-0.89, p = 0.03).

 Conclusion: Caregiver education level, childbirth method, timing of complementary feeding, and illness duration significantly influence child nutrition. Hence, implementing targeted nutrition interventions for children aged 6 to 59 months in Kericho County is imperative.