IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v16y2019i17p3021-d259532.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Childhood Undernutrition and Its Predictors in a Rural Health and Demographic Surveillance System Site in South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Perpetua Modjadji

    (School of Health Care Sciences, Department of Public Health, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Molotlegi St, Ga-Rankuwa Zone 1, Ga-Rankuwa 0208, South Africa)

  • Sphiwe Madiba

    (School of Health Care Sciences, Department of Public Health, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Molotlegi St, Ga-Rankuwa Zone 1, Ga-Rankuwa 0208, South Africa)

Abstract

Background: Overweight and obesity are increasing at an alarming rate in South Africa, while childhood undernutrition remains persistently high. This study determined the magnitude and predictors of stunting and underweight among schoolchildren in the Dikgale and Health Demographic Surveillance System Site, a rural site in South Africa. Methods: A cross sectional study using multistage sampling was conducted among 508 schoolchildren and their mothers. Anthropometric measurements were taken from children and their mothers, while sociodemographic information was obtained from mothers using a questionnaire. The World Health Organization Anthro Plus was used to generate height-for-age and weight-for-age z-scores to indicate stunting and underweight, respectively, among the children. Maternal overweight and obesity were assessed using body mass index. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the predictors of stunting and underweight among schoolchildren. Results: Twenty-two percent (22%) of children were stunted and 27% were underweight, while 27.4% of the mothers were overweight and 42.3% were obese. The odds of being stunted were lower in younger children, whereas having a mother who was overweight/obese and had a short stature increased the odds of stunting. Access to water, having a refrigerator, and having a young mother were protective against being underweight. Having a mother who was overweight/obese increased the odds of being underweight. Conclusions: The study showed a high prevalence of stunting and underweight among children, and overweight and obesity among mothers, indicating a household double burden of malnutrition. The age of the child and maternal overweight/obesity and short stature were predictors of stunting and underweight, while having a younger mother and access to water and a refrigerator were protective against being underweight. The need for an evidence-based and feasible nutrition program for schoolchildren, especially those in rural schools, cannot be over-emphasized.

Suggested Citation

  • Perpetua Modjadji & Sphiwe Madiba, 2019. "Childhood Undernutrition and Its Predictors in a Rural Health and Demographic Surveillance System Site in South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-14, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:17:p:3021-:d:259532
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/17/3021/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/17/3021/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kadiyala, Suneetha & Gillespie, Stuart, 2003. "Rethinking food aid to fight AIDS," FCND discussion papers 159, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Makama Andries Monyeki & Adedapo Awotidebe & Gert L. Strydom & J. Hans De Ridder & Ramoteme Lesly Mamabolo & Han C. G. Kemper, 2015. "The Challenges of Underweight and Overweight in South African Children: Are We Winning or Losing the Battle? A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Laurencia Govender & Kirthee Pillay & Muthulisi Siwela & Albert Modi & Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, 2016. "Food and Nutrition Insecurity in Selected Rural Communities of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa—Linking Human Nutrition and Agriculture," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, December.
    4. Adewara, Sunday Olabisi & Visser, Martine, 2011. "Use of Anthropometric Measures to Analyze How Sources of Water and Sanitation Affect Chidren’s Health in Nigeria," RFF Working Paper Series dp-11-02-efd, Resources for the Future.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mbalenhle Mkhize & Melusi Sibanda, 2020. "A Review of Selected Studies on the Factors Associated with the Nutrition Status of Children Under the Age of Five Years in South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-26, October.
    2. Perpetua Modjadji & Lucy Nomsa Masilela & Lindiwe Cele & Mmampedi Mathibe & Peter Modupi Mphekgwana, 2022. "Evidence of Concurrent Stunting and Obesity among Children under 2 Years from Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Backgrounds in the Era of the Integrated Nutrition Programme in South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-15, September.
    3. Perpetua Modjadji & Josephine Mashishi, 2020. "Persistent Malnutrition and Associated Factors among Children under Five Years Attending Primary Health Care Facilities in Limpopo Province, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-15, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Taiyang Zhong & Jonathan Crush & Zhenzhong Si & Steffanie Scott, 2022. "Emergency food supplies and food security in Wuhan and Nanjing, China, during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Evidence from a field survey," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 40(3), May.
    2. Xonné Haywood & Anita Elizabeth Pienaar, 2021. "Long-Term Influences of Stunting, Being Underweight, and Thinness on the Academic Performance of Primary School Girls: The NW-CHILD Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-15, August.
    3. Place, Frank & Adato, Michelle & Hebinck, Paul & Mary Omosa, 2003. "The impact of agroforestry-based soil fertility replenishment practices on the poor in Western Kenya," FCND discussion papers 160, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. repec:aer:wpaper:391 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Sheryl Hendriks, 2005. "The challenges facing empirical estimation of household food (in)security in South Africa," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 103-123.
    6. Mere Idamokoro & Anita E. Pienaar & Barry Gerber & Maria M. van Gent, 2023. "The Influence of a 9-Week Movement Program on the Body Composition of 7- to 8-Year-Old Schoolchildren in the Eastern Cape of South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-19, January.
    7. María López & Irene Alcoceba & María-José Castro & María-José Cao & Sara García & Manuel Frutos & José-María Jiménez, 2021. "Assessment of an Educational Intervention to Improve Healthy Life Habits in Children Living in Vulnerable Socioeconomic Conditions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-11, April.
    8. Sonja Klingberg & Catherine E. Draper & Lisa K. Micklesfield & Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon & Esther M. F. van Sluijs, 2019. "Childhood Obesity Prevention in Africa: A Systematic Review of Intervention Effectiveness and Implementation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-18, April.
    9. Monica Ewomazino Akokuwebe & Erhabor Sunday Idemudia, 2021. "Multilevel Analysis of Urban–Rural Variations of Body Weights and Individual-Level Factors among Women of Childbearing Age in Nigeria and South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-30, December.
    10. Charilaos Tsolakis & Evgenia D. Cherouveim & Apostolos Zacharias Skouras & Dimitrios Antonakis-Karamintzas & Cara Czvekus & Panagiotis Halvatsiotis & Olga Savvidou & Panagiotis Koulouvaris, 2022. "The Impact of Obesity on the Fitness Performance of School-Aged Children Living in Rural Areas—The West Attica Project," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-16, September.
    11. Danielle Dolley & Rosa Du Randt & Uwe Pühse & Markus Gerber & Jacob Bosma & Ann Aerts & Larissa Adams & Patricia Arnaiz & Nandi Joubert & Ivan Müller & Siphesihle Nqweniso & Harald Seelig & Peter Stei, 2023. "Relationship between Body Mass Index and Physical Activity among Children from Low-Income Communities in Gqeberha, South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-11, January.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:17:p:3021-:d:259532. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.