Comparative Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Institutionalised and Non-Institutionalised Nigerian Children Using Anthropometric Parameters

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition impacts millions of children around the world, and institutionalisation appears to make children more susceptible to malnutrition when compared to their non-institutionalised counterparts.

Objective: To compare the use of anthropometric indices in the assessment of the nutritional status of institutionalised and non-institutionalised Nigerian children.

Methods: It was a school-based, cross-sectional comparative study conducted at 48 selected day schools and four residential care institutions (orphanages and special schools), all in Umuahia, Nigeria. Socio-demographic data of the subjects were collected with an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Weight and height measurements were computed using the WHO Anthro/AnthroPlus software.

Results: The prevalence of malnutrition was higher in institutionalised children, with stunting, wasting and underweight occurring in 37.5%, 24.3% and 12.5%, respectively and 17.1%, 13.8% and 7.2%, respectively, for non-institutionalised children. The differences in the rates of stunting, wasting, and underweight between the two study groups were statistically significant (p < 0.001, p = 0.01, and 0.03, respectively). A greater number of institutionalised children (62.7%) were acutely ill two weeks before the study than the non-institutionalised children (39.3%). Children in public-owned institutions were more malnourished than those in private institutions (p = 0.009).

Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition in institutionalised children was higher than that of their non-institutionalised peers. Periodic nutritional assessment of children in institutional care is essential for accurate planning and implementation of targeted intervention programmes to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with malnutrition.