DIETARY HABITS IN MALNOURISHED CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE

Objective: The aim of study was to identify the dietary habits in under five years malnourished children. Study Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study Place of Study: The study was conducted in Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi Materials and Methods: To determine the dietary habits in malnourished children under 5 year of age. We have done descriptive cross-sectional study at paeds ward Holy family hospital Rawalpindi. 151 children were selected through non-probability convenient sampling and their dietary habits were determined. The mothers of children were taken into confidence and data was collected using a structured questionnaire about dietary habits. The collected data was analyzed via SPSS-16 software. Descriptive statistics were computed for different variables. The instruments used in the process of data collection were measuring tapes and weighing machines. Results: Total numbers of children included in this study were 151 under 5 year of age. 97 (64.2 %) were males and 54 (35.8%) were females, 19.2% were from urban while 80.8% were from rural areas, 6.6% were school going and rest 93.4% were non-school going, Among the occupations of Fathers of these children highest percentage were of Laborers (54%). 95.4% of the mothers of these malnourished children were housewives, of which highest percentage were uneducated i.e 62.9%. Majority (62.3%) of children were exclusively breast fed by their mothers. The percentage of bottle feeding was 51%. A large percentage of children were found to be free of off and on chronic illness.85 % of children were vaccinated and no history of measles. Conclusion: After the study of malnutrition among children under five years of age we have concluded by using various variables that malnutrition's basic cause is poor dietary habits as early cessation of breast feeding, use of formula milk, unawareness about importance of exclusive breast feeding, uneducation of mother, poverty, lack of essential nutrients in their diet which prevent the body functioning normally.