Under-Five Undernutrition Prevalence, Its Inequality, Associated Socio-Economic and Demographic Factors in Uganda: Secondary Analysis of 2019/2020 National Panel Data.

Abstract

Background: Undernutrition is a type of malnutrition in which there are deficiencies in nutrient intake. It is caused by inadequate dietary intake and disease. Undernutrition contributes toward poor health outcomes of a child, and imposes a financial burden on the child's household. This study aims to determine under-five undernutrition prevalence, its inequality and associated socioeconomic and demographic factors in Uganda.

Methodology: We analyzed secondary data of 2019/2020 Uganda National Panel Survey. From 815 households, selected 815 children under 5 who had complete data on age (months), weight (kilograms), and height (centimeters). This was used for computing the z scores. Based on the World Health Organization reference, we used the z scores to determine the children's nutritional status. We then compared households of malnourished and those of the well-nourished children using the student's t-test and the chi square (χ²) test respectively.

Results: Among 815 children included in the study, undernutrition prevalence was 16.9% stunted, 6.1% wasted, and 11.8% underweight. This corresponds to catastrophic health expenditure being 1.1%, 1.7%, and 0.7% lower among households with stunted, wasted and underweight children respectively, compared to households with well-nourished children. The distribution was not statistically significant: ( ${\chi }^2\left(P\right)$  = 2.331 (0.312)), ( ${\chi }^2\left(P\right)$  = 0.863 (0.649)), and ( ${\chi }^2\left(P\right)$  = 0.335 (0.846)), respectively.

Conclusion: The odds of undernutrition didn't differ by nutritional status, but undernourished children had significantly higher transport expenses. MoH should invest in community healthcare services to reduce these costs.