Influence of Mothers’ Participation in Intra-Household Decision Making on Nutritional Status of Children Under Five Years in the Northern Region of Ghana

Authors

  • Dujin Barma Laribick
  • Hudu Zakaria Department of Agricultural Extension, Rural Development and Gender Studies Faculty of Agribusiness and Communication Sciences University for Development Studies

Keywords:

Intra-household, Decision, Underweight, Wasting, Stunting, and Nutritional Status

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate effects of mothers’ participation in intra-household decision making on the nutritional status of their children. The paper relied solely on analysis of data for Northern Region of Ghana, collected as part of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future population baseline survey conducted in 2012. Multiple Linear Regression Model was used in examining mothers’ participation in intra-household decision making on children’s weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height which were used as proxies for children’s nutritional status. Results of the analysis revealed that, the Region is still far from achieving the MDG 1 target of attaining 1.8% malnutrition prevalence rate, as stunting, underweight and wasting prevalence rates among children in the region were found to be 27%, 25% and 13% respectively. The analysis also found mothers’ participation in intra-household decision making, ownership and control of household resources as significant in influencing positively children’s nutritional status. Increasing participation and power of women in intra-household decision making process are imperative in improving children nutritional status and reducing malnutrition prevalence among children under five years. It is therefore recommended that programmes and projects aimed at promoting sustainable nutritional wellbeing among children should consider empowering mothers of children so as to promote their status and barging power in intra-household decision making process.

References

Abu-Ghaida D. & Klasen S. (2004) “The Costs of Missing the Millennium Development Goal on Gender Equity†Elsevier, 32 (7): 1075-1107.Bangladesh. The World Bank Economic Review, 19 ` 2), 263-286. Bolivia. Journal of International Development, 16:519-528.

Akudugu MA (2012). Estimation of the Determinants of Credit Demand by Farmers and Supply by Rural Banks in Ghana’s Upper East Region. Asian J. Agric. Rural Dev. 2(2):189-200.

De Onis M, Monteiro, C., Akre, J., & Clugston, G., (2003). The Worldwide magnitude of protein-energy malnutrition: an overview from WHO Global Database on Child Growth. (Available online on: http://www.who.int/whosis/cgrowth/bulletin.htm. Accessed on 20/11/2014)

Ghana 2008 Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). 2009. Ghana Health Service and Ghana Statistical Service Accra, Ghana September 2009 (available on: http://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR221/FR221[13Aug2012].pdf accessed on 20/11/2014)

Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) (2011). Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey with Enhances Malaria Module and Biomarker, Final Report. Accra, Ghana

GSS (2012). 2010 Population and Housing Census. Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Government of Ghana, Accra

Judy Maberry, Vincent Amanor-Boadu, Kara L. Ross, and Yacob A. Zereyesus. 2014. Overview of the Results of the Population-Based Survey of Northern Ghana 2012. METSS Kansas State University Office March 2014. (Available online on: http://www.metss-ghana.k-state.edu/research-briefs/March-18-2014-PBS-Conference-Deck-Sheets.pd accessed on 26th October, 2014)

Klugman, G. 2002. Addressing malnutrition in South Africa. Science in Africa. June 2002. Available at: http://www.scienceafrica.co.za/2002/june/food2.htm Accessed 26/11/2014).

Kurz, K., Johnson-Welch, C. 2001. Enhancing women’s contributions to improving family food consumption and nutrition. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 22(4):443-453.

Labadarios, D. (2005). Malnutrition in Developing World: The triple burden. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition (SAJCN), 18(2):119-121, September 2005.

Ming, M.F., G.C. Ying and S.Z.M. Kassim, 2006. Eating patterns of school children and adolescents in Kuala Lumpur. Mal. J. Nutr., 12: 1-10

Nicklas, T.A., S.J. Yang, T. Baranowski, I. Zakeri and G. Berenson, 2003. Eating patterns and obesity in children. The bogalusa heart study. Am. J. Preventive Med., 25: 9-16.

Nicklas, T.A., T. Baranowski, K.W. Cullen and G. Berenson, 2001. Eating patterns, dietary quality and obesity. J. Am. College Nutr., 20: 599-608.

Patrick, H & Nicklas, T.A (2005). A Review of Family and Social Determinants of Children’s Eating Patterns and Diet Quality. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Houston, Texas, USA.

Raykar 2012. The Effect of Women’s Intrahousehold Bargaining Power on Child Health Outcomes in Bangladesh. Ellie Schmidt April 30, 2012

Sheila G. J., & Bungum T.J. (2003).The Benefits of Breastfeeding: An Introduction for Health Educators. S. G. J. Clark & T. J. Bungum / Californian Journal of Health Promotion 2003, Volume 1, Issue 3, 158-163(Available on http://www.cjhp.org/Volume1_2003/Issue3-TEXTONLY/158-163-clark.pdf accessed on 30th, August, 2014)

UNICEF-WHO-World Bank (2011). Levels and Trends in Child Malnutrition. Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates. (UNICEF, New York; WHO, Geneva; The World Bank, Washington DC.)

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (1998). The state of world’s children 1998: focus on nutrition. New York, NY: United Nations Children’s Fund; p. 129.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (2009). The state of the world’s children 2009: maternal and newborn health. New York, NY: United Nations Children Fund; p.158.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) (2009). Tracking progress on child and maternal nutrition: a survival and development priority. New York.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). (2007a). Progress for Children: A world fit for children statistical Review. New York: United Nations Children’s Fund. Available at: (http://www.unicef.org/progressforchildren/2007n6/index_41505.htm).

Valesco C., & Marconi R. (2004). Group dynamics, gender and microfinance in Bolivia. Journal of International Development. Vol 16, Issue 3. (Available online onlinelibrary.wiley.com).

Wardle, J., Herrera, M.L., Cooke, L., Gibson, E.L. .2003. Modifying children's food preferences: the effects of exposure and reward on acceptance of an unfamiliar vegetable. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 57(2) 341-8. (Available online on: http://www.fabresearch.org/viewItem.php?id=8412 Accessed on 23/10/2014)

World Health Organisation (WHO). (2001a). The prevention and management of severe anaemia in children in malaria-endemic regions of Africa. May 7-9, 2001. Geneva.

World Health Organization (WHO) (2006). Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. WHO Child Growth Standards: Length/height-for-age, weight-for- age, weight-for-length/height, and body mass index-for-age: Methods and development. Geneva.

Zereyesus Y. A., Ross K. L., Amanor-Boadu V., & Dalton J. T. (2014). Baseline Feed the Future Indicators for Northern Ghana 2012. Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, Marc 2014. (Available on http://ghana.usembassy.gov/pr_031814.html.

Zhou H, Wang X-L, Ye F, Zeng X. L. & Wang Y. (2011). Relationship between child feeding practices and malnutrition in 7 remote and poor countries, P R China. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition; 21 (2):234-240

Downloads

Published

2015-02-15

How to Cite

Laribick, D. B., & Zakaria, H. (2015). Influence of Mothers’ Participation in Intra-Household Decision Making on Nutritional Status of Children Under Five Years in the Northern Region of Ghana. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences, 3(1). Retrieved from https://ajouronline.com/index.php/AJAFS/article/view/2189

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2015): February 2015

Section

Articles

License

  • Papers must be submitted on the understanding that they have not been published elsewhere (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis) and are not currently under consideration by another journal published by any other publisher.
  • It is also the authors responsibility to ensure that the articles emanating from a particular source are submitted with the necessary approval.
  • The authors warrant that the paper is original and that he/she is the author of the paper, except for material that is clearly identified as to its original source, with permission notices from the copyright owners where required.
  • The authors ensure that all the references carefully and they are accurate in the text as well as in the list of references (and vice versa).
  • Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  • Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
  • The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.