Background: Nutrition is an important element of a child’s survival and development. To achieve
MDG 4 in Nigeria, nutritional status of under-five children needs to be improved as malnutrition
remains an underlying factor in about one third of under-five deaths in Nigeria. Unfortunately, along
with high prevalence of malnutrition, urban-rural disparities persist in child nutritional outcomes in
Nigeria.
Objective: To determine the differences in and predictors of the nutritional status of children in
urban and rural areas of Akinyele LGA, Ibadan.
Methods: A community based comparative cross sectional study was carried out in one urban and
one rural ward of Akinyele LGA. Data was collected from mothers of 614 children. Anthropometric
measurements were obtained from the children and Z scores generated using the WHO standard
population. The children were classified as stunted, wasted or underweight using a cut off of -2 SD
and severely stunted, severely wasted and severely underweight using a cut off of -3 SD.
Results: Of all the children, 56.2% were stunted, 17.4% were underweight and only 9% were
wasted. Urban-rural location was significantly associated with stunting and underweight but not
wasting. Rural dwellers were more likely to be underweight (OR 3.000, 95% CI 1.907- 4.718) and
more likely to be stunted (OR 1.857, 95% CI 1.344- 2.565). The predictors of either or all of the
nutritional indices were paternal education, having a sanitary toilet in the home, exclusive
breastfeeding, socioeconomic status, birth order of the child, exclusive breastfeeding and complete
immunization.
Conclusion: Disparities exist in the nutritional status of under-five children which is not due to
location. Drivers of these disparities need to be identified in order for appropriate policies and
actions to be taken.