Socio-Economic and Cultural Determinants of Nutrition in Under-Five Children in a Rural Health Facility, Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract

Childhood is a period of rapid physical, emotional and cognitive development and nutrition plays a key role in infant health and 
well-being. Malnutrition occurs when a child does not receive adequate nutrients from diet due to multifaceted underlying factors 
that differ across geographical regions. Maintaining adequate nutrition have been established to be influenced by diverse factors 
and these associated factors have been understudied in the locality of study. This study investigated socio-economic and cultural 
determinants of nutrition in under-five children in Southeastern Nigerian. Descriptive cross-sectional study using a validated 
structured questionnaire was done among randomly selected 153 mothers of under-five children accessing healthcare in a rural 
health center in Amechi community of Enugu state, Nigeria. Data were analyzed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences 
version 24.0 using descriptive statistics of proportions, percentages, mean and standard deviations. Majority of the respondents 
(n=117, 76.5%) were married, 134(87.6%) attained secondary education, 50(32.7%) were self-employed with 53(34.6%) making 
fifteen thousand naira (₦15,000) monthly income. Financial constraint (3.39±1.03), lack of spousal support (2.60±0.87), 
children’s food preferences (2.69±0.98), peer influence over choice of food (3.54±0.92) and conflict with mothers and mother 
in-laws over practice of exclusive breastfeeding adversely influenced nutrition (2.65±0.96). Financial empowerment and stronger 
family support can enhance nutritional practice in poor resource communities thereby curbing malnutrition in children