Environmental and Socioeconomic Correlates of Child Malnutrition in Iseyin Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Policy makers at global, national and local levels are more than ever concerned about the rising trend in child malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa and how it can be curtailed in the context of general food and basic-needs policies. To support programme setting at the local government level, this study was conducted to examine the relative importance of environmental and socio economic correlates of child malnutrition. Primary data were collected through a well structured questionnaire and analysed using Z-score indices and probit model.Our results reveal that 46% of the children are stunted, 6% under weight and 21% wasted. Our model estimation identified the age of the child, diarrhoea infection and poor sanitation as key factors that increases the likelihood of malnutrition in the study area. This reflects the relative importance of environ-mental factors in the study area. Socioeconomic factors were less robust but were consistent with previous empirical studies in terms of direction of association. The study recommends that government and other stakeholders should pursue sanitation/ hygiene programmes and public enlightenment programmes on the dangers of poor sanitation and diarrhoea.