Table 2 Factors (feeding practices) associated with malnutrition in children attending PML Children’s Hospital in Accra, Ghana
Nutritional status of child | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Malnourished | Well-nourished | ||||
Characteristic | n, % | n, % | Odds Ratio [95 % CI] | p-value | |
Problem with feeding child (N = 371) | Yes | 95 (52.2) | 46 (24.3) | 3.39 [2.13-5.42] | <0.001 |
No | 87 (47.8) | 143 (75.7) | 1.00 | ||
Child ever been breastfed (N = 371) | No | 22 (12.1) | 14 (7.4) | 1.72 [0.81-3.76] | 0.128 |
Yes | 160 (87.9) | 175 (92.6) | 1.00 | ||
Difficulties with breastfeeding (N = 362) | Yes | 30 (17.3) | 34 (18.0) | 0.96 [0.54-1.70] | 0.871 |
No | 143 (82.7) | 155 (82.0) | 1.00 | ||
Breastfeeding status (1st six months) (N = 328) | Mixed | 67 (42.9) | 52 (30.2) | 1.69 [1.01-2.83] | 0.034 |
Predominant | 25 (16.0) | 36 (20.9) | 0.91 [0.47-1.74] | 0.764 | |
Exclusive | 64 (41.1) | 84 (48.2) | 1.00 | ||
Early initiation of breastfeeding (N = 298) | <1 h | 93 (66.4) | 106 (67.1) | 0.97 [0.58-1.62] | 0.904 |
≥1 h | 47 (33.6) | 52 (32.9) | 1.00 | ||
Age of addition of complementary food (N = 351) | <6 months | 58 (33.7) | 38 (21.2) | 1.89 [1.14-3.14] | 0.009 |
≥6 months | 114 (66.3) | 141 (78.8) | 1.00 | ||
Child was fed only formula food from birth (N = 354) Yes | 15 (8.9) | 11 (5.9) | 1.54 [0.64-3.82] | 0.291 | |
No | 154 (91.1) | 174 (94.1) | 1.00 | ||
Child was bottle-fed (N = 352) | Yes | 28 (16.3) | 10 (5.6) | 3.31 [1.49-7.87] | 0.001 |
No | 144 (83.7) | 170 (94.4) | 1.00 | ||
Duration of breastfeeding (N = 87) | <6 months | 14 (31.8) | 6 (14.0) | 2.88 [0.89-10.18] | 0.048 |
≥6 months | 30 (68.2) | 37 (86.0) | 1.00 | ||
Frequency of egg eating (N = 183) 1 | Never or occasional | 75 (90.4) | 82 (82.0) | 2.06 [0.79-5.78 | 0.107 |
≥1× a week | 8 (9.6) | 18 (18.0) | 1.00 | ||
Frequency of meat/fish eating (N = 173) 1 | Occasional (not everyday) | 44 (57.9) | 45 (46.4) | 1.59 [0.83-3.05] | 0.133 |
Every day | 32 (42.1) | 52 (53.6) | 1.00 | ||
Frequency of fruit eating (N = 179) 1 | Occasional (not everyday) | 57 (70.4) | 52 (53.1) | 2.10 [1.08-4.11] | 0.018 |
Every day | 24 (29.6) | 46 (46.9) | 1.00 | ||