학술논문

Exploring disparities in malnutrition among under-five children in Nigeria and potential solutions: a scoping review
Document Type
article
Source
Frontiers in Nutrition, Vol 10 (2024)
Subject
children below 5 years
Nigeria
poor quality of complementary feedings
multiple undernutrition issues
targeted interventions
Nutrition. Foods and food supply
TX341-641
Language
English
ISSN
2296-861X
Abstract
IntroductionTriple burden of malnutrition in children remains a significant public health issue. This scoping review aims to assess the information on undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and the quality of complementary feeding in various regions in Nigeria.MethodsA literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar databases from January 1, 2018 to January 31, 2023 to include studies focusing on 0 to 5 years old children in Nigeria, reporting data on nutritional status, nutrient deficiencies, and published in English.Results73 out of 1,545 articles were included. Stunting remained alarmingly high ranging from 7.2% (Osun, South West) to 61% (Kaduna, North Central), while wasting varied from 1% (Ibadan, South West) to 29% (FCT Abuja, Central) and underweight from 5.9% (Osun, South West) to 42.6% (Kano, North West) respectively. The overall prevalence of anemia and vitamin A deficiency ranged between 55.2 to 75.1 % and 5.3 to 67.6%, respectively. Low rates of achieving minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency were reported across different states depicting the suboptimal quality of complementary feeding. The prevalence of overweight/obesity ranged from 1.5% (Rivers, South South) to 25.9% (Benue, North Central).ConclusionMultiple early childhood malnutrition issues exist with a wide disparity across states in Nigeria, particularly in the Northern region. Targeted nutrition interventions must be implemented to improve the situation.