The study examined the determinants of child health care in Nigeria. Data from Nigeria
Demography health survey (2009) was employed. Four variables were examined; Per-Capital
Household expenditure (as a proxy for Household income), Household Structure, Parental
education and Geographical location of the Household (in terms of the six Geo- political zones
of Nigeria) as some of the key determinants of children nutritional status. These variables were
subjected to Nested Multinomial logit Model (NMLM) regression. Our result revealed that the
squared of the proxy for household income was found to be a positive determinant of children
nutritional status although insignificantly. This suggests that nutritional status of children in
Nigeria is non-linear. Polygamous family structure and once married status had no correlation
with children nutritional status. Residency in any of the geo-political zones of Nigeria was also a
significant determinant of child nutritional status. Parental education was also revealed to be a
key determinant of children nutritional status in Nigeria. Government at all levels needs to invest
heavily in education and also educate people on the need for family planning. Food
demonstration unit also needs to be established in all health centers.