The Causes and Effect of Malnutrition Among Children Between Ages One to Fifteen (1-15) Years (a Case Study of Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State)
CHAPTER ONE
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The study is aimed at findings out the following:
- To examine the causes of poor nutrition in Oredo local government area of Edo State.
- To examine the effect of poor nutrition on children who are malnourished.
- To examine the relationship between anti-natal and post-natal nutrition.
- To examine the academic performance of children suffering from poor nutrition.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Nutrition is a science that examines the relationship between diet and health. Deficiency, excess and imbalances in diet can produce negative impact on health, which may lead to disease such as Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, scurvy, obesity, or osteoporosis as well as psychological and behaviour problems. Moreover, excessive ingestion of elements that have no apparent role in health (e.g. lead, mercury, PCB and dioxins) may incur toxic and potentially lethal effect depending on the dose. Many common disease and their symptoms can often be prevented and alleviated with better nutrition.
Who (2005) carried out similar study in some ninety (90) developing countries including Nigeria and found that poor nutrition leads to weak immunity not capable enough to fight malaria which is one of the important cause of mortality and morbidity among children under ten (190) years. An estimated 600,000 children under five (5) die of malaria annually and about 2.2 million of the world children in these 90 countries are exposed to malaria. Borgen (2006) pointed out that, poor nutrition is the result of inappropriate dieting, over eating or the absence of balance diet, often observed in economically developing countries. He postulated that poor nourished children either do not have enough calories in their diet, or are eating a diet that lack protein, vitamins, or trace of maderids.
Morris (2004) carried out similar research on children academic performance and stated that children with poor nutritional background who suffer ill with diarrhea in the first fourteen (14) months of life will relatively have poor performance in school at sixty (60) months of age in low birth weight babies but relatively different in normal birth weight babies. Granthan Mcgregor (2006) in a research in Kenya found that children who fall ill because of improper nutrition played and vocalized less at home and had proper cognitive and psychomotive skills that healthy child.
CAUSES OF POOR NUTRITION
Poor nutrition of children in developing countries especially in sub-Saharan African has been a matter of investigation. With a close look at children under fifteen (15) years in Oredo local government area of Edo State, who are malnourished, it is certain that some condition are responsible for the poor state of nourishment. Scoth (2006) defined nutrition as a science that examines the relationship between diet and health. Poor nutrition is general term for a medical condition caused by an improper or insufficient diet. It is most often referred to as under nutrition resulting from inadequate consumption, poor absorption or excessive loss of nutrition. But the term can also encompass over nutrition, resulting from over eating or excessive intake of specific nutrient.
To the effect, Wines (2006) explained that poor nutrition is the lack of sufficient nutrient to maintain healthy bodily functions and is typically associated with extreme poverty in economically developing countries. As to what causes poor nutrition in developing countries e.g. Nigeria, the following has been found to be responsible for this life threatening condition.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
DESCRIPTION OF STUDY
There are numerous villages in Oredo local government area of Edo State of these five (5) villages were used as sample study. The following criteria were used in selecting the villages.
- Village, where there have been a high rate of malnutrition since the year 2000 till date.
- Village with lack of adequate information about the effect of poor nutrition.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS
In the chapter the researcher used the information that were in the types of questionnaires and the interview of medical personnel in the locality under study to provide answers to the research questions on the whole a total of 100 parents questionnaires were administer and out of the number 100 where returned. Also the 80 teacher’s questionnaires were filled and returned. Sample of the questionnaire are seen in the appendix Section.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY
Based on the prevailing circumstances, which is the effect of poor nutrition on children under the ages of fifteen in Ovia South West local government area of Edo State, the study identified the possible causes and the effect of the problem. From the findings, it can be said that poor nutrition in chidlren is due to the fact that during pregnancy, majority of the women do not take balance diet and do not go for anti-natal care. Subsequently, poor nutrition reduce the child interest in his/her environment thereby making the child to loose interest in school as it does not conform with the child psychological needs.
The poor motor development and the child nervous system is directly affected by the nutritional values of the child as children develop organs at this early age. Finally, the poor nourished children who are deficient in the basic food nutrient have not interest in school, as it is difficult for them to cope with the school process. In relation to the well-nourished children, the malnourished children have little or no enthusiasm in continuing their educational pursuit. But with supplementation, they can still improve.
CONCLUSION
Having thoroughly analyzed interpreted the date gather and subsequently day out some finding, it can now be said that poor nutrition is early childhood put the child at right for poor psychomotor development and subsequently low apathy level. Poor nutrition almost certainly plays a role in the development and educational levels of these children, which will in turn limit economic productivity in individual adults and nations. Poor nutrition plays a major role in the etiology of stunting and linear growth retardation due to the effect it has on the child central nervous system data indication that deficiencies of zinc and protein are the strongest. Well nourished children have more academic performance due to high mental development at their early stage of life that those who stunted mental development due to poor nutrition.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on finding and response, which occurred in the questionnaires, the following recommendations were made:
- Primary health center should be established in all the villages so as to enable the women to have easy access to anti-natal care during pregnancy.
- The government should institute programme to improve children’s nutritional status such programmes fifteen years of life.
- The local government should integrate childcare and psychological intervention in all wards of the local government.
- Parents should endeavour to undertake education so as to enable them to know ways of improving the child nutritional value.
- High rate of poverty is also linked with poor nutrition. So good job opportunity salary scale should be provided to boost parent socio-economic status.
REFERENCES
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