ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of severe acute undernutrition among school-age children between the age group of 6 – 12 years in Ujodo Development Centre, Enugu State. A total of 399 school children were selected using simple random sampling technique. Structured questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-economic characteristics and dietary habit of the respondents. Anthropometric indices of the children was collected and grouped using WHO anthro plus. Data obtained were analyzed with SPSS version 20.0, using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages and chi-square. The results showed that 22.1% of the children were eleven years. Most (60.9%) of the children lived with their parents, 20.3% of their parents earned N20,000 to N29,999 monthly. Some (35.6%) sourced their drinking water from stream and 34.8% boiled the water before drinking it. Also, 37.8% and 30.1% used uncovered latrine and pit toilets. Meal skipping was among 49.6% of the children with 41.1% skipping breakfast. All the children consumed snacks such as biscuit, buns, egg roll, cheese ball, twice a week (52.6%). Similarly. Fruits and vegetable were consumed by 54.1% of the children two times a week. Their 24-hour dietary recall indicated that carbohydrate rich foods such as garri and soup, rice and yam which was complemented with beans and fiofio and oil was mostly consumed by the children. Prevalence of stunting and wasting was among 7.8% and 30.8% of the children. It was also observed that family size significantly (p<0.05) affect the height-for-age of the children. Also, educational levels of their mothers significantly (p<0.05) affect their BMI-for-age. Level of wasting among these children shows the need for the parents of these children to diversify the foods given to them by including meat, fish and dairy products in their diets.