Feeding Practices Influencing Protein Energy Malnutrition in Children under Five Years Old at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya

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Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) results from deficiency of proteins and energy. Children less than five years old are the most affected because of their immature immunity. Social, demographic, economic, environmental, political and medical factors had been found to interrelate and cause PEM. The study sought to determine the influence of feeding practices on PEM in children under five years old at KNH. One hundred and eighteen (118) children under five years old and their biological mothers participated in this cross-sectional quantitative study. Questionnaires were administered to the biological mothers of the children and anthropometric measurements were taken from the children. Multi-stage sampling was used to select eligible children plus their biological mothers. Analysis of data was done using SPSS and Chi-square was used to test the significance of the relationship between independent and dependent variables that were categorical in nature. Logistic regression was used to predict relationship between variables. The study found moderately high prevalence of underweight (59.3%) and stunting (53.3%) and low prevalence of wasting (33.9%) among children aged 0 to 59 months in KNH. The odds of a stunted child being fed on complementary feeds was approximately a third (OR=0.28 [95% CI 0.12-0.65; P=0.003]) that of a non-stunted child. The odds of a wasted child feeding less than normal during illness was approximately a third (OR=0.31 [95% CI 0.13-0.75; P=0.009]) that of a non-wasted child. There was high level in initiation of breastfeeding. Complementary feeding was commenced too early with children receiving complementary feeds as early as in the first day of life and an average of 4.3 months. The frequency of feeding children during illness was low