Assessing the influence of Socio demographic factors on stunting among underfive children in Chabanyama Compund, Chingola: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Stunting among under-five children is a persistent public health concern in Sub Saharan Africa, including Zambia, contributing to impaired growth, cognitive deficits, and poor school performance. Socio-demographic factors such as parental education, household size, employment status, and maternal age have been identified as key determinants of child nutritional status. This study aimed to assess the influence of socio-demographic factors on stunting among under-five children in Chabanyama Compound, Chingola, Zambia. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 262 under-five children and their caregivers. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and child health records. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize socio-demographic characteristics, while Pearson’s Chi-square tests were applied to examine associations between stunting and socio-demographic variables. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05. The study found that 52.3% of the children were female, and the majority of mothers (44.3%) had attained secondary education. Most households (68.3%) had four or more members, and 58.8% had an average monthly income of less than 5000 ZMW. Stunting prevalence in the study population was 20.6%. Chi-square analysis revealed no statistically significant associations between stunting and maternal education (p = 0.352), paternal education (p = 0.315), maternal age at childbirth (p = 0.447), maternal employment status (p = 0.326), paternal/guardian employment status (p = 0.789), household size (p = 0.342), number of children under five (p = 0.926), or household income (p = 0.103). Stunting in Chabanyama Compound is moderately prevalent, but socio demographic factors such as parental education, maternal age, employment status, and household size did not show significant associations with stunting in this study. These findings suggest that other factors, including feeding practices, access to health services, and environmental conditions, may play a more prominent role in influencing child nutritional outcomes. Multi-sectoral interventions targeting nutrition education, health service accessibility, and household food security are recommended. Keywords: Stunting, Under-five Children, Socio-demographic Factors, Household Size, Parental Education