Factors Influencing to Nutritional Status of Children under Five years at Buhinga Regional Referral Hospital in Fort Portal, Kabarole District.

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition is a major public health problem in Uganda. It affects Children‟s development and physical growth which impacts on their health and survival. Objective: To establish the factors contributing to the nutritional status of children under five years at Buhinga regional referral hospital in fort portal to suggest partial observations to improve on the healthy status of children. Methodology: Across section study was carried out with researcher administered questionnaires and anthropometric measurement as a method of data collection from 105 respondents. Descriptive, bivariate analysis were under taken in sense and values were generated, data were generated using SPSS data soft ware. Results: From the findings malnutrition among children under five years was 28.4% on the other hand, out of 105(100%) under five children/ 61.6% are adequately malnourished after undertaking Anthropometric measurements, level of knowledge in the benefits of breast feeding to a child (P=0.002) and religious (p* 0.002) were revealed as key predications in the nutrition status of children under five years. Conclusion: Malnutrition is a major problem among children under five years of age in fort portal that is contributed by the socio-economic status of mother care takers, food practices of the care taker. So therefore the interventions to control the problem should be targeted to both women and men in the community.