Comparative Analysis of the Nutritional Status of Under-five Children and their Mothers in Rural and Urban Areas of Anambra State, Nigeria.

Aim: Malnutrition in the form of under-nutrition is still a major public health problem in developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria. This study compares the nutritional status of under-five children and their mothers in rural and urban areas of Anambra State Nigeria. Methodology: This was a comparative cross-sectional study carried out in one urban and two rural local government areas of Anambra State, Nigeria namely Awka South, Dunukofia and Anaocha respectively. A total of 657 mother-child pairs were selected from eligible households using the multistage sampling technique. Data on household food security was obtained from the mothers using semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaires while anthropometric measurements were carried out on the children and their mothers using weighing scales and height boards. Results: The overall prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight among the under-five children in this study were 15.1%, 18.1% and 10.4% respectively, and the proportions were higher in the rural area than in the urban. The prevalence of stunting (height < 152 cm) in the mothers was 7.9% in the rural area compared to 9.1% in the urban area. Majority of the women were overweight (BMI ≥ 25.0), more in the urban (69.3%) than in the rural (59.2%). Conclusion: This study confirmed that under-five under-nutrition remains a serious public health problem in Anambra State, Nigeria. In order to reduce child morbidity and mortality to which malnutrition contributes significantly, concerted effort must be made by the government to improve child and maternal nutritional status by directing attention to improving household food security through developing and implementing policies that improve the livelihoods of the population.

Is poor maternal mortality index in Nigeria a problem of care utilization? a case study of Anambra State

Maternal mortality in Nigeria is unacceptably high. Some of the reasons may include poor socioeconomic development, weak health care system, low socioeconomic status of women and socio-cultural barriers to care utilization. A cross sectional study was carried out to assess the use of maternal services in Anambra State. A multi stage sampling technique was used to select 800 nursing mothers from the State who were interviewed on the use of maternal services during their last pregnancy. Over 95% of the subjects had formal education. Almost all the subjects (99.7%) attended antenatal clinics during their last pregnancy with 92.3% (646) of them making 4 or more visits before delivery. Over 97%(680) of the deliveries took place in formal health facilities. Obviously, the women in the study population utilize maternal health services. The problem of maternal mortality in the country may not necessarily lie with utilization but with the quality of services. (Afr J Reprod Health 2008; 12[2]:132-140)