Community Health and Finance: Assessing the Nutritional Status of Children and Parents’ Financial Status in Ondo State, Nigeria
Abiola Temitope ADESOYE
This study assessed the nutritional status of children in Orita Ojo in Odigbo Local Government Area and established the relationship between nutritional status and socio-economic status. The study used a structured questionnaire distributed to 60 households. The data was analyzed using the Simple Frequency Percentage Tables and Chi-Square. The result of the study indicates that nutritional status of children between ages 0-12 is poor. Also, the current dietary behaviour of the children in Orita Ojo in Odigbo Local Government Area is poor, which can be attributed to the fact that parents are not well knowledgeable dietary. It was also discovered that the level of knowledge on nutrition, foods and their functions by the parents is shallow. Furthermore, the findings shows a positive relationship between the nutritional status and growth of children in Orita Ojo in Odigbo Local Government Area, and there also exist a positive relationship between parent’s social-economy status (finance) and children’ nutritional status. The study recommends that community health practitioners should on a weekly basis, sensitize the general public on foods, their classes, functions, dietary and nutrition, and that parents should leverage on other sources of income as the study found a positive relationship between parents’ social-economy status and children nutritional status. This study supports the Sustainable Development Goals 3, 8 and 15.
Keywords: Community health, children nutrition, finance, SDG 15, SDG 3, socio-economic status