Peer-reviewed article
Prevalence and determinants of stunting in children under the age of five, in Bisho, South Africa
Janine Beyleveld1, Annelie Gresse2 ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5This study looked at how common stunted growth is among young children visiting a hospital clinic in Bisho, South Africa, and what factors might explain it. Nearly half of the children studied were stunted, with more than half of those cases being moderate and the rest severe. The type of sanitation used by families was strongly linked to stunting. Receiving a child support grant was linked to stunting in babies under six months, but not in older children. The study concludes that stunting has many causes and needs both nutrition-focused and broader social interventions.
Key points
- Stunting prevalence was 47.5% among children under five at the clinic
- 57.7% of stunted children were moderately stunted and 42.3% severely stunted
- Sanitation type was significantly correlated with stunting across age groups
- Child support grant status was significantly linked to stunting only in children under six months
- No other determinants studied showed statistical significance
Limitations
The cross-sectional design from a single hospital clinic limits how well the findings can be generalised, and it cannot show cause and effect between the factors and stunting.
Abstract
Childhood stunting is the most prevalent form of chronic malnutrition, affecting 149 million children under the age of five worldwide. As the determinants of stunting are complex and multicausal, it is important to look at area specific determinants and determine whether these are similar to the general determinants. This study investigated the prevalence and determinants of stunting in children under the age of five, visiting Bisho Hospital clinic in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. A cross-sectional, qualitative design was used. All children under the age of five, visiting Bisho Hospital’s clinic during the data collection period, and whose mothers provided consent, were included in the sample of 219 participants. An interview-administered questionnaire was used to determine possible factors that may play a role in stunting. Anthropometrical measurements (height, weight and mid-upper arm circumference) were used to calculate z-scores for the children. IBM SPSS Statistics 26 (version 24.0) was used for statistical analysis. Dietary diversity was calculated with a seven food group classification. The prevalence of stunting was 47.5 %, of which 57.7 % were classified as moderately stunted, and 42.3 % severely stunted. There was a significant correlation between the participants’ main form of sanitation and stunting in all age groups (p = 0.007; Cramer’s V = 0.413 and p = 0.04; Cramer’s V = 0.326, respectively). A statistical significance was found between the child support grant and stunting (p = 0.032) in children younger than six months, but not in the older group. No statistical significance was found between other determinants of stunting that were analysed. As stunting is multi-causal, it requires a combination of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions, together with strong political and financial commitment from stakeholders to eradicate stunting in children. Keywords: Stunting, Children, Sanitation, Infections, Breastfeeding