Infant Feeding Practices, Prevalence of Adolescent Motherhood and Malnutrition among Infants in Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

Aloysius N. Maduforo; Clementina E. Okoro; Justina N. Chikwendu; Chika Ndiokwelu; Gift Asogwa; Miracle C. Aloysius-Maduforo; Chinyere C. Okwara; Josephine Nwanneoma Okorie

doi:10.5334/aogh.4229

Figures & Tables

Table 1

Socio-demographic characteristics of mothers of infants in Mangu LGA (N = 200, Females = 145; Males = 55).

VARIABLES	FEMALE F (%)	MALE F (%)	TOTAL F (%)	P-VALUE
Age Group				0.651
<6 months	115 (79.3)	42 (76.4)	157 (78.5)
6–12 months	30 (20.7)	13 (23.6)	43 (21.5)
Mother’s Occupation				0.884
Student	28 (19.3)	8 (14.5)	36 (18.0)
Civil servant	28 (19.3)	11 (20.0)	39 (19.5)
Trader	71 (49.0)	30 (54.5)	101 (50.5)
Farmer	3 (2.1)	1 (1.9)	4 (2.0)
Unemployed	15 (10.3)	5 (9.1)	20 (10.0)
Mother’s Educational Level				0.093
No formal education	1 (0.7)	2 (3.6)	3 (1.5)
Primary school uncompleted	1 (0.7)	1 (1,8)	2 (1)
Primary school completed	7 (4.8)	3 (5.5)	10 (5)
Secondary school uncompleted	21 (14.5)	9 (16.4)	30 (15)
Secondary school completed	73 (50.3)	20 (36.4)	93 (46.5)
Tertiary	42 (29.0)	20 (36.4)	62 (31.0)
Parent’s Marital Status				0.522
Married	127 (87.7)	49 (89.1)	176 (88.0)
Single	6 (4.1)	2 (3.6)	8 (4.0)
Widow/widower	5 (3.4)	3 (5.5)	8 (4.0)
Divorced	1 (0.7)	1 (1.8)	2 (1.0)
Separated	6 (4.1)	0 (0.0)	6 (3.0)
Religion	0.046	0.831		0.831
Christianity	114 (78.6)	44 (80.0)	158 (79.0)
Islam	31 (21.4)	11 (20.0)	42 (21.0)

Table 2

Infant feeding practices of Mothers in Mangu LGA, Plateau State (N = 200, Females = 145; Males = 55).

VARIABLE	FREQUENCY (%)
Breastfeeding Initiation
Within 1 hour	78 (39.0%)
Within 24 hours and above	122 (61.0%)
Practiced Prelacteal Feeding
Yes	76 (38.0%)
No	124 (62.0%)
First Food/Fluid Given to the Infants
Breastmilk only	124 (62.0%)
Warm water	62 (31.0%)
Glucose water	14 (7.0%)
Ever Breastfed
Yes	200 (100.0%)
No	0 (0.0%)
Practiced Exclusive Breastfeeding
Yes	57 (28.5%)
No	143 (71.5%)
Age of Complementary Food Introduction
0–3 months	35 (17.5%)
>3 months – <6 months	32 (16.0%)
At 6 months	57 (28.5%)
7–12 months	32 (16.9%)
>12 months	2 (1.0%)

Table 3

Prevalence of adolescent motherhood in Mangu LGA, Plateau State (N = 200, Females = 145; Males = 55).

VARIABLES	FEMALE F (%)	MALE F (%)	TOTAL F (%)	P-VALUE
Adolescent motherhood at first childbirth				0.653
10–15 years	7 (4.8)	1 (1.8)	8 (4.0)
16–19 years	46 (31.8)	21 (38.2)	67 (33.5)
>19 years	92 (63.4)	33 (60.0)	125 (62.5)
Adolescent motherhood at present child				0.279
10–15 years	2 (1.4)	0 (0)	2 (1.0)
16–19 years	18 (12.4)	11 (20.0)	29 (14.5)
>19 years	125 (86.2)	44 (80.0)	122 (84.5)

Table 4

Prevalence of malnutrition among infants in Mangu LGA (N = 200, Females = 145; Males = 55).

VARIABLE	FEMALE F (%)	MALE F (%)	TOTAL F (%)	P-VALUE
Length-for-Age				0.112
Severe stunting	13 (9.0)	5 (9.1)	18 (9.0)
Moderate stunting	35 (24.1)	6 (10.9)	41 (20.5)
Normal	97 (66.9)	44 (80.0)	141 (70.5)
Weight-for-Length				1.000
Severe wasting	5 (3.4)	2 (3.6)	7 (3.5)
Moderate wasting	13 (9.0)	4 (7.3)	17 (8.5)
Normal	127 (87.6)	49 (89.1)	176 (88.0)
Weight-for-Age				0.573
Severe underweight	1 (0.7)	1 (1.8)	2 (1.0)
Moderate underweight	12 (8.3)	3 (5.5)	15 (7.5)
Normal	132 (91.0)	51 (92.7)	183 (91.5)

Prevalence of Malnutrition among Children of Adolescent Mothers (N = 200, Females = 145; Males = 55).
The results of the correlation analysis indicated a significant positive correlation (r = 0.252; p = 0.000) between the weight of infants and the duration of breastfeeding.

Table 5

The statistical relationship between the nutrition indices of children of adolescent mothers and mothers above 19 years of age (N = 200, Females = 145; Males = 55).

NUTRITION INDICES	AGE OF MOTHER AT FIRST CHILDBIRTHχ² (P-VALUE)	AGE OF MOTHER AT THE TIME OF STUDYχ² (P-VALUE)
Length-for-age	8.180 (*0.017)**	2.729 (0.256)
Weight-for-length	4.108 (0.128)	0.900 (0.211)
Weight-for-age	7.072 (*0.029)**	5.932 (0.052)

[i] The statistical relationship is significant (*) when p < 0.05.