Malnutrition Prevalence, Comparative Gender Disparities and Geographical Differences among Children Living in Rural (Gurara) and Urban (Chanchaga) Settings

Abstract

The prevalence of stunting alone remains above 30% in several regions, particularly affecting rural communities. This study sought to determine the prevalence of malnutrition (stunting, underweight, and wasting), comparative gender disparities and geographical differences among children under five in the study areas using anthropometric indicators. This study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive design. Anthropometric measurements and questionnaire were used to elicit data from a total of 270 respondents who were simple randomly selected. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) summarized participant demographics and malnutrition prevalence. Binary logistic regression identified key predictors of malnutrition (categorized as malnourished vs. not malnourished). Gender-based analysis, using Chi-square tests, examined disparities in malnutrition between male and female children. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05, with all analyses conducted at a 95% confidence level to ensure robustness. The results and findings from this study showed that there was a prevalence of 10% stunting (Height-for-Age), indicative of chronic malnutrition, 20% underweight (Weight-for-Age), reflecting a general state of undernutrition, and 18.5% wasting among children in the study area. The data reveal notable gender-based differences in child nutritional outcomes. A higher percentage of male children (53.9%) were undernourished (classified as underweight, wasted, or stunted) compared to female children (41.5%). Additionally, 22.4% of male children were overweight or obese, slightly higher than the 17.8% observed among females. Malnutrition was higher in rural 66.1% as compared to the urban settlement (28.3%) and the difference was statistically significant (χ² = 51.467, df = 2, p < 0.001). Nutrition education for caregivers and rural settlements were recommended among others to mitigate malnutrition prevalence and nutrition disparities and differences across gender and geographic areas.