Predictors of nutritional status among participants in a rice irrigation scheme in Kenya

A cross-sectional household survey of 187 households in, and 168 households from surrounding areas of a rice irrigation scheme in Kenya was carried out in order to study individual and social characteristics associated with childhood malnutrition. The proportion of under-fives who had wt/age, wt/ht and ht/age indices below minus 2 standard deviations of the WHO-NCHS reference values was higher among participants in the scheme than among non-participants. Maternal education was the only variable that was significantly associated to all indicators of malnutrition used in the study. The area of residence, the number of resident dependents on proceeds from the same farm, recent episode of diarrhoea, child's age, occupation of the mother, mother's age, type of care taker of the child in the mother's absence, and marital status of the mother, were associated to one or two of the indicators of malnutrition. However, despite maternal education being significantly higher on the scheme than off-scheme, crowding and poor sanitation conditions are such that the nutritional status of preschool children within the scheme is worse. Promotion of maternal education, provision of facilities to improve sanitary conditions and programs aimed at controlling population density villages within the scheme, are recommended.