Determinants of the nutritional status of children in a rural African setting: the case of Chobe district, Botswana

Abstract

Variations in interdistrict nutritional status have puzzled both social policy makers and health workers in Botswana. A total of 643 households and 898 pre-school children were surveyed to determine factors that are associated with the nutritional status of children below the age of five years in the north-western District of Chobe. Except for those in remote and difficult-to-reach places, all households with a pre-school child were selected for the study. The results showed that the nutritioneal status of the preschool children had a strong positive correlation with access to a latrine (r = 0.52) and ownership of cattle (r = 0.27). Age was negatively correlated with the child’s nutritional status (r = -0.02).