Eating Pattern, Dietary Diversity and Nutritional Status of Children and Adolescents Residing in Orphanages in Southwestern Nigeria

Background: The population of orphaned children is increasing at devastating levels especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, only very little is known about the eating pattern, dietary diversity and the nutritional status of children living in orphanages. This study therefore aimed to assess the eating pattern, dietary diversity and the nutritional status of children residing in orphanages in southwestern Nigeria.Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study among 260 children in selected orphanages in Lagos State, south-western Nigeria, selected using two-stage sampling technique. The nutritional status of the respondents was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) growth reference values of 2007. Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 24.0. The confidence interval was set at 95% with significant level at p<0.05.Results: Majority of the respondents (52.7%) were adolescents (10-19 years), 54.6% were females, 90.4% were attending schools and 90.0% were single-orphans. Majority of the respondents consumed fruits (97.7%), vegetables (80.0%), animal proteins (96.2%) and carbohydrates (96.2%) more than 3 times in the week preceding the study. The mean dietary diversity (DD) score was 4.6 ± 0.5, with 150 (57.3%) of the respondents having a high dietary diversity. Using BMI-for-age, 177 (68.1%) of the respondents were underweight and 23 (8.9%) were overweight/obese.Conclusion: Majority of the children living in orphanages were underweight, despite the reported healthy eating patterns and high dietary diversity. There is the need for nutritional interventions targeted at children living in orphanages in Nigeria. Keywords: Children; Dietary diversity; Eating pattern; Nutritional Status; Orphanag

Eating Pattern, Dietary Diversity and Nutritional Status of Children and Adolescents Residing in Orphanages in Southwestern Nigeria

Background: The population of orphaned children is increasing at devastating levels especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, only very little is known about the eating pattern, dietary diversity and the nutritional status of children living in orphanages. This study therefore aimed to assess the eating pattern, dietary diversity and the nutritional status of children residing in orphanages in southwestern Nigeria.Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study among 260 children in selected orphanages in Lagos State, south-western Nigeria, selected using two-stage sampling technique. The nutritional status of the respondents was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) growth reference values of 2007. Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS version 24.0. The confidence interval was set at 95% with significant level at p<0.05.Results: Majority of the respondents (52.7%) were adolescents (10-19 years), 54.6% were females, 90.4% were attending schools and 90.0% were single-orphans. Majority of the respondents consumed fruits (97.7%), vegetables (80.0%), animal proteins (96.2%) and carbohydrates (96.2%) more than 3 times in the week preceding the study. The mean dietary diversity (DD) score was 4.6 ± 0.5, with 150 (57.3%) of the respondents having a high dietary diversity. Using BMI-for-age, 177 (68.1%) of the respondents were underweight and 23 (8.9%) were overweight/obese.Conclusion: Majority of the children living in orphanages were underweight, despite the reported healthy eating patterns and high dietary diversity. There is the need for nutritional interventions targeted at children living in orphanages in Nigeria. Keywords: Children; Dietary diversity; Eating pattern; Nutritional Status; Orphanag

Perception and Determinants of Uptake of Preventive Health Services among the Staff of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State

Background: The rising burden of chronic non-communicable diseases in Nigeria makes the need for preventive health services (PHS) imperative. Thus, this study assessed the perception and determinants of uptake of preventive health services among the staff of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was employed. Two hundred and ninety academic and non-academic staff of the university were enrolled in the study, using a stratified random sampling technique. The sample size was proportionally allocated to various subunits in the institution. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Determinants of uptake of PHS were assessed using binary logistic regression. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.Results: The majority of the respondents, 280 (96.6%) had good perceptions of PHS, and 176 (60.7%) reported barriers in access to PHS. Although a majority of the respondents, 268 (92.4%) had positive attitudes towards PHS, most of the respondents 196 (67.6%) had poor uptake. Common barriers to uptake of PHS were availability and affordability of the services, time constraints, and interference with other activities. Being an academic staff (p = 0.001) and presence of chronic illness (p = 0.043) were significant determinants of PHS uptake.Conclusion: Uptake of PHS was poor among majority of the respondents despite their good perception of the services. This may be linked to the perceived barriers to access. Thus, there is a need for policy formulation and provision of an enabling environment by the University’s authority for ease of access to PHS