Publications

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors causing undernutrition amongchildren under five years old at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital. A cross-sectionaldescriptive study was conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods, focusing onchildren aged 3 to 59 months. Nutrition levels were determined using anthropometricmeasurements using US National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference standards.The study involved systematic random sampling and data collection throughquestionnaires. Children with z-scores below -2 SD were considered undernourished.Stunting, wasting, and underweight were found to be 15%, 4%, and 8% respectively. Themajor determinants of nutrition among children under five years at the hospital were thechild's age, birth interval, breastfeeding, maternal age, maternal education level, andmaternal occupation. These factors directly or indirectly affected the child's nutritionstatus. The researcher recommends prioritizing health education for mothers aboutnutrition, exclusive breastfeeding, and family planning, and encouraging girl child education by the government. This research highlights the importance of addressing nutrition-related issues in children under five years old.