Assessment of Childhood Malnutrition and Household Food Security in Angwan Rogo and Tudun Wada Communities of Jos North, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64261/ms5x9r30Keywords:
childhood malnutrition; food insecurity; feeding practices; Angwan Rogo; Tudun Wada; Jos North; caregiversAbstract
Background: Childhood malnutrition remains a significant public health problem in northern Nigeria, particularly in low-income urban settlements where food insecurity, infectious diseases, and poor feeding practices all occur simultaneously. Angwan Rogo and Tudun Wada are two densely populated Hausa-Fulani communities in Jos North that present especially heightened conditions of vulnerability among children under five years.
Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,034 caregivers of children aged 0–59 months recruited by multistage sampling. Data collection used a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire with Likert-scaled measures on food security, feeding practices, sanitation, and coping mechanisms. Anthropometric measurements were obtained by following WHO protocols. Associations between food security, feeding practices, and nutritional outcomes were determined using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. The level of significance was set at p<0.05.
Results: Both communities reported severe household food insecurity, characterized by high frequencies of meal skipping, reduced dietary diversity and a strong reliance on low-cost carbohydrate foods. Chi-square analysis revealed that food insecurity was significantly associated with stunting, wasting and underweight. Poor dietary diversity reported in the households led to increased rates of malnutrition among the children. Illness frequency, low maternal education, poor hygiene and poor breastfeeding practices were also significantly related to malnutrition. Coping strategies included reduction of meal size, borrowing of food, meal skipping by adults, and reliance on neighbors.
Conclusion: Childhood malnutrition in Angwan Rogo and Tudun Wada is strongly influenced by household food insecurity, inadequate feeding practices, and socioeconomic deprivation. Targeted nutrition interventions should be strengthened, food access improved, and the knowledge of caregivers enhanced in these vulnerable communities.
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