FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE PREVALENCE OF WASTING AMONG CHILDREN BELOW FIVE YEARS RECEIVING HEALTHCARE SERVICES AT KAYUNGA REGIONAL HOSPITAL, KAYUNGA DISTRICT. A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

IBRAHIM SSEBATA; DAISY                KIYINGI

doi:10.51168/sjhrafrica.v5i3.791

Authors

IBRAHIM SSEBATA Clinical Medicine & Community Health, Medicare Health Professionals College.
MRS. KIYINGI DAISY Medicare Health Professionals College, P.O.Box 16476, Kampala.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v5i3.791

Keywords:

Wasting, Children below 5yrs, Healthcare services, Kayunga Regional Hospital

Abstract

Objectives of the study

The main purpose of this study was to determine the factors contributing to the prevalence of wasting among children below five years receiving health care services at Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital; the study focused on three objectives that are to determine the prevalence of wasting as well as to assess the childhood factors and maternal factors contributing to wasting.

Method

A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between June 2023 and July 2023 at Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital in Kayunga District. Data was collected using questionnaires & simple random sampling technique was employed to select 100 study participants. Data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel version 2016 and a scientific calculator.

Results

Data analysis and interpretation showed that 9% of the children below five years who received health care services at Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital during the time of data collection were wasted. The findings of this study further showed that 77.8% of the study participants who were wasted had severe wasting while 22.2% of them were moderately wasted. The study results reflected that 41.7% of the study participants who had a birth weight < 2.5kg were wasted while 6% of those who had a birth weight of 2.5-4.0kg were wasted. The study findings indicated that 11.8% of the children who had early initiation of complementary feeding were wasted as compared to the 7.7% and 7.1% who had timely as well as late initiation of complementary feeding respectively.

Conclusion

Wasting is still a national, medical, and public health concern among children below five years old in several districts of the country including Kayunga District.

Recommendations

The study recommends combined efforts from different stakeholders like the government, Ministry of Health, health practitioners, Village Health Teams, and local leaders to curb malnutrition, particularly wasting in the country.