Malnutrition : A real public Heath problem in Sub- Saharan Africa

Malnutrition is a real public health problem in the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. This nutritional deficiency is particularly severe during the period of supplemental feeding between 6 and 24 months. However, very few studies in Côte d'Ivoire have focused on the causal analysis of child malnutrition during the withdrawal period. The purpose of this study is to determine the nutritional status of children aged 6 to 24 months and to analyses the determinants of dietary practices during weaning in the west of Côte d'Ivoire, particularly in the municipality of Man. For the purpose of this study, a descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out among households of 480 mother-child couples in the municipality of Man. The nutrition status of children during weaning indicated a higher prevalence for stunting compared to underweight and wasting. Among the 480 children, 39.37% are affected by protein-energy malnutrition with a prevalence of 31.66% for stunting, 11.66% for wasting and 23.12% for underweight. The most common mode of breastfeeding by mothers is breastfeeding, with a prevalence of 89.37% for 3.78% of breastfeeding exclusively. The average duration of breastfeeding is 16.3 months. On the whole, the proportion of mothers who introduce supplements before 6 months is higher with 65.77% compared to 20.88% for mothers who introduce them after 6 months. Also, the nutritional quality of the boiled food consumed was not in accordance with the nutritional recommendations for protein content (4.45-7.10 g / 100 g MS) and lipid content (0.98-7.25g/100gMS).

Author(s): Loba Sonia Euphrasie

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