THE PERCEPTION OF PARENTS TOWARDS MALNUTRITION

THE PERCEPTION OF PARENTS TOWARDS MALNUTRITION

CHAPITRE ONE

INTRODUCTION

The Study’s Context

Malnutrition encompasses both undernutrition (subnutrition) and overnutrition (obesity). It can also be characterized as nutritional consumption that is insufficient, excessive, or imbalanced. Nutrition is important in a growing child’s capacity to develop healthily into adulthood since malnutrition causes slowed growth, muscular atrophy, and a lack of several minerals, including vitamin A and zinc. Malnutrition is defined by the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (2010) as a poor health condition caused by a lack of food or the wrong type of food. Malnutrition is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a lack of micro-elements required for appropriate metabolism and functioning of the body, such as potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. It is important to note that there is an increased dietary need during early fetal growth and development in utero and extrauterine life. According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS). Malnutrition affects an estimated three million individuals, and one in every three people admitted to hospital or care homes in the United Kingdom is determined to be malnourished or at danger of malnourishment. According to Black et al. (2013), undernutrition kills three million children each year. Malnutrition is projected to have caused an increase in fatalities in Africa from 31% in 1990 to 43% in 2005, resulting in 10.6 million deaths of under-five children each year (World Health Organization, 2015). The Federal Ministry of Health in Nigeria estimates that 41% of Nigerian children under the age of five are malnourished, accounting for 1.1 million fatalities (Punch News, 2015).

Statement of the Issue

Malnutrition in growing children is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children, accounting for up to 33% of deaths in Nigeria. Malnutrition causes at least 30 – 50% of all childhood deaths and 10 – 40% of hospital admissions in underdeveloped countries (WHO 2005).

Severe malnutrition increases the risk of morbidity in growing children because malnourished children are prone to infection, have impaired cognitive development, poor social and emotional success, and low economic productivity. To have a long-term impact, interventions must address both the primary cause and the contextual element. Poverty has been established as a significant driver of severe malnutrition; however, the path to this is complicated. Improved economic performance has not always resulted in improved nutritional status; poverty increases susceptibility to poor nutritional outcomes; and a considerable number of disadvantaged children thrive. As a result, adequate diet is merely one critical aspect.

Psychosocial stimulation (exposing a child to a variety of experiences and encouraging them to explore their surroundings) has been discovered to be a crucial component in successfully managing malnutrition. This includes the development of parenting abilities as well as the promotion of change in the parent-child connection. Knowledge of parents’ thoughts and practices is a key component in any nutritional intervention.

In a community like Gongi, where the mother is the care giver and generally the parent who accompanies a child to hospital for the treatment of severe malnutrition, the parent is the key to overcoming the consequences of severe malnutrition.

The current study aims to answer the question, “What are parents’ perceptions of malnutrition as a health problem in growing children at Gongi clinic?”

The Study’s Objectives

i. The study seeks to ascertain parents’ attitudes toward malnutrition.

ii. Determine the source of malnutrition.

iii. Recognize the implications of malnutrition.

The Importance of the Research

The study’s findings will help the researcher understand the causes of malnutrition, as well as the impacts of malnutrition and mothers’ perceptions of malnutrition. The study will also help moms understand the repercussions of malnutrition; knowing the prevalence of malnutrition among growing children would allow Gongi Clinic to educate parents more on malnutrition prevention.

Research Issues

i. What are the causes of malnutrition among growing children?

ii. How does childhood malnutrition effect children’s growth and development?

iii. What are the attitudes of nursing moms about malnutrition?

The Study’s Scope

The research topic focuses on parents who attend Gongi clinic in Maiduguri, Borno state, and their perceptions of malnutrition in growing children as a health problem.

Limitations

Delays in collecting questionnaires due to customers visiting the Infant Welfare Clinic on different days, difficulties in gaining client attention, and financial difficulties.