Factors Associated with High Prevalence of Stunting among Children under Five in Ghana

Abstract

Background: Stunting is a burden for affected children under five years of age, their families, and their communities. Many children under five years lose their lives through stunting. Survivors often have impaired intellectual and physical growth. It predisposes them to progressive cancers and diabetes later in life. Stunting occurs as a result of insufficient nutrient consumption. Hence, it is an urgent public issue that needs to be addressed to save the lives of children. Objective: To assess the factors associated with the prevalence of stunting among children under five years of age in Ghana. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used for the study. The study used secondary data collected by multiple-indicator cluster surveys (MICS) for Ghana (2018–2019). A total of 8,861 children under five years of age were the target participants. Results: The prevalence of stunting was 17.1% in Ghana. The findings established that two groups, children aged 36–47 months, and children aged 24¬-months, were the most severely affected. It also revealed a significant association between stunting and mothers with non-formal educations (OR 2.376, p-value 0.000, 95% CI 1.510—3.739). Lastly, breast-fed children had a significantly lower risk of stunting (OR 0.307, p-value 0.002, 95% CI 0.148-0.636), though children who ate grains had a 50% increased risk of stunting (OR 1.501, p-value 0.000, 95% CI 1.203—1.872) and those who ate beans had 20% higher risk of stunting (OR 1.484, p-value 0.003, 95% CI 1.144-1.927). Conclusion: The study shows that 17 out of every 100 children were stunted. Male children had a higher risk of being stunted than female children. Children aged between 36 and 47 months had a higher risk of being stunted.