Factors associated with underweight, overweight, stunting and wasting among primary school-going children participating in a school health initiative in South Africa
Abstract Background The double burden of malnutrition among children remains a public health challenge in South Africa. In response, the government of South Africa developed the National Health Policy and Implementation Guidelines for school-going children in 2003. This policy was subsequently upgra...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-10-01
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| Series: | BMC Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-023-00778-x |
| _version_ | 1797577511880622080 |
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| author | Netsai Bianca Gwelo Joshua Sumankuuro Olagoke Akintola William R. Brieger |
| author_facet | Netsai Bianca Gwelo Joshua Sumankuuro Olagoke Akintola William R. Brieger |
| author_sort | Netsai Bianca Gwelo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The double burden of malnutrition among children remains a public health challenge in South Africa. In response, the government of South Africa developed the National Health Policy and Implementation Guidelines for school-going children in 2003. This policy was subsequently upgraded to ‘The Integrated School Health Programme’ in 2012. An element of the programme is the provision of a meal to school-going children on school days. However, evidence suggests that one-third of school-going children continue to have nutritional deficiencies. This study investigated the sociodemographic as well as the nutritional characteristics of school-going children participating in a school health initiative in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Methods This was a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study involving 1,275 children (50.3% females and 49.7% males) aged 3 to 15 years. Epidemiological data on the screening of the children’s nutritional characteristics by school health nurses and school health nutritionists under the integrated school health programme (ISHP) was reviewed and analysed for the study. Results Nearly half (50.3%) and 49.7% of the population were females and males, respectively. The average age of participants was 8.4 years old. ‘Underweight’ (p = 0.000), ‘overweight’ (p = 0.000), ‘at risk of overweight’ (p = 0.000),‘stunting’ (p = 0.000),‘severe stunting’ (p = 0.005), ‘wasting’ (p = 0.010), and ‘obesity’ (p = 0.037) were associated with the ‘schools that children attended’. School-going children’ living conditions were significantly associated with ‘normal weight’ (p = 0.000), ‘underweight’ (p = 0.000), and ‘underweight’ (p = 0.028). However, the social grant to parents/guardians had some positive effects on the percentage of children who reported ‘normal weight’ (55.4%), ‘wasting’ (1.0%), ‘underweight’ (4.0%), and ‘at risk of overweight’ (20.2%). Conclusion Chronic nutritional deficiencies persist among children. Therefore, ISHP implementation must retarget specific regions of the country to ensure that national goals and gains on school-going children nutrition, are met and maintained. Indeed, considering the positive impact of the government’s social grant programme on the nutritional status of the children in this study, we recommend policy reforms that will increase parents’ and carers’ access to means of subsistence in order to meet the health and nutritional needs of children in the study communities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:10:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-657002d609ff4b86bfad2f97e568ab7c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-0928 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:10:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-657002d609ff4b86bfad2f97e568ab7c2023-11-19T12:37:59ZengBMCBMC Nutrition2055-09282023-10-019111310.1186/s40795-023-00778-xFactors associated with underweight, overweight, stunting and wasting among primary school-going children participating in a school health initiative in South AfricaNetsai Bianca Gwelo0Joshua Sumankuuro1Olagoke Akintola2William R. Brieger3School of Public Health, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western CapeSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western CapeSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western CapeBloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins UniversityAbstract Background The double burden of malnutrition among children remains a public health challenge in South Africa. In response, the government of South Africa developed the National Health Policy and Implementation Guidelines for school-going children in 2003. This policy was subsequently upgraded to ‘The Integrated School Health Programme’ in 2012. An element of the programme is the provision of a meal to school-going children on school days. However, evidence suggests that one-third of school-going children continue to have nutritional deficiencies. This study investigated the sociodemographic as well as the nutritional characteristics of school-going children participating in a school health initiative in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Methods This was a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study involving 1,275 children (50.3% females and 49.7% males) aged 3 to 15 years. Epidemiological data on the screening of the children’s nutritional characteristics by school health nurses and school health nutritionists under the integrated school health programme (ISHP) was reviewed and analysed for the study. Results Nearly half (50.3%) and 49.7% of the population were females and males, respectively. The average age of participants was 8.4 years old. ‘Underweight’ (p = 0.000), ‘overweight’ (p = 0.000), ‘at risk of overweight’ (p = 0.000),‘stunting’ (p = 0.000),‘severe stunting’ (p = 0.005), ‘wasting’ (p = 0.010), and ‘obesity’ (p = 0.037) were associated with the ‘schools that children attended’. School-going children’ living conditions were significantly associated with ‘normal weight’ (p = 0.000), ‘underweight’ (p = 0.000), and ‘underweight’ (p = 0.028). However, the social grant to parents/guardians had some positive effects on the percentage of children who reported ‘normal weight’ (55.4%), ‘wasting’ (1.0%), ‘underweight’ (4.0%), and ‘at risk of overweight’ (20.2%). Conclusion Chronic nutritional deficiencies persist among children. Therefore, ISHP implementation must retarget specific regions of the country to ensure that national goals and gains on school-going children nutrition, are met and maintained. Indeed, considering the positive impact of the government’s social grant programme on the nutritional status of the children in this study, we recommend policy reforms that will increase parents’ and carers’ access to means of subsistence in order to meet the health and nutritional needs of children in the study communities.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-023-00778-xChild nutritionIntegrated School Health ProgrammeObesityStuntingMalnutritionKwaZulu- Natal Province |
| spellingShingle | Netsai Bianca Gwelo Joshua Sumankuuro Olagoke Akintola William R. Brieger Factors associated with underweight, overweight, stunting and wasting among primary school-going children participating in a school health initiative in South Africa BMC Nutrition Child nutrition Integrated School Health Programme Obesity Stunting Malnutrition KwaZulu- Natal Province |
| title | Factors associated with underweight, overweight, stunting and wasting among primary school-going children participating in a school health initiative in South Africa |
| title_full | Factors associated with underweight, overweight, stunting and wasting among primary school-going children participating in a school health initiative in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Factors associated with underweight, overweight, stunting and wasting among primary school-going children participating in a school health initiative in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors associated with underweight, overweight, stunting and wasting among primary school-going children participating in a school health initiative in South Africa |
| title_short | Factors associated with underweight, overweight, stunting and wasting among primary school-going children participating in a school health initiative in South Africa |
| title_sort | factors associated with underweight overweight stunting and wasting among primary school going children participating in a school health initiative in south africa |
| topic | Child nutrition Integrated School Health Programme Obesity Stunting Malnutrition KwaZulu- Natal Province |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-023-00778-x |
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