| dc.description.abstract | This study set out to explore the relationship between household's capacity for resource
mobilisation and children's nutritional status in Kaloleni Division, Kilifi District of the
Coast Province of Kenya. Kilifi District was chosen because it had one of the highest
rates of childhood malnutrition in the county. The broad objective of the study was to
explore the relationship between households' resource mobilisation capacity and
children's nutritional status in Kaloleni Division of Kilifi District.
The study specifically sought to explore the relationship between social and economic
factors, resources mobilisation capacities, the patriarchal authority structures and
children's' nutritional status. The social and economic variables under investigation were
educational levels, household sizes, number of dependants and household incomes.
Investigations on the patriarchal authority structures focused on role performance,
decision making and resource control.
Relevant literature on the nature and extent of malnutrition, resource mobilisation and
allocation patterns, patriarchal authority structures and gender relations were reviewed.
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The study made use of the Household Production of Health Behavioural Approach
(HHPH)to demonstrate how households and community resources could be utilised to
improve the health status of the children. -The household economic models were also
used to show the different patterns of resource distribution within the household level.
The data for the study were drawn from a 'randomly selected sample of 110 households
with pre-school aged children. The data was collected using a self-administered
questionnaire. Nutritional assessment was done using the weight for age (W-A)
nutritional assessment. Analysis of data was done using the statistical package for social
scientist (SPSS).
Analysis of data revealed that thirty five percent of the children were malnourished. The
poor nutritional status of pre-school children in the district could be attributed to inter
alia number of dependants, parental educational levels and household incomes. Gender
relations with regard to food provision, decision making and resources control were
found to influence the household resource allocation and distribution patterns and had an
impact .on the nutritional status of the children. Parents' knowledge of the causes and
symptomsof malnutrition was limited. This lack of knowledge as highlighted by the
HPPH Behavioural Approach contributes greatly to the problem of childhood
malnutritionas it hampers effective prevention and treatment of the illness.
It was concluded that the existing intervention programmes fail because they do not
address household internal dynamics which adversely affect the nutritional status of the
children. The study recommended that parental education and in particular maternal
education, nutritional education and inequalities in power relations be addressed for
effective control and prevention of childhood malnutrition. Besides the provision of food
and training on basic feeding habits, the government and other stakeholders should
endeavour to pursue pragmatic policies that enhance the well being of the children | en |
