Parents Education and Children Nutritional Status Aged 2 to 5 in Zambia

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the independent association of parental education on the nutritional status of the children using anthropometric measurements and body composition tools. Method: The WHO standardized age and sex-specific growth reference was used to calculate height for age Z-scores (HAZ), weight for age Z-scores (WAZ) and weight for height Z-scores (WHZ). Percent body fat was calculated using the equation developed by Lohman for skinfold. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationships of parent’s education and the prevalence for stunting controlled for family size. Results: 77 children were assessed (M=32, F=45) of whom 45(58.4%) were stunted expressed by HAZ Conclusion: Our results indicate that more than half of the children are stunted indicating chronic malnutrition. This may be a reflection of chronic food shortage or poverty which may affect food intake by the children. Parent’s education seems to be insignificant strategy to improving children’s nutrition in Zambia. Further studies are needed to assess other health problems in the area.