Why are our children wasting: Determinants of wasting among under 5s in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Wasting is one of the indicators of malnutrition known to contribute to the deaths occurring from childhood malnutrition. It is the measure of body mass in relation to body length used to explain recent nutritional status. AIM: This paper examines the determinants of wasting among under 5s in Ghana. METHOD: Data were drawn from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey children's records file to examine the determinants of wasting among children. A total of 2720 children under 5 years with valid anthropometric data were used. Data on wasting were collected by measuring the weight and height of all children under 5 years of age. Bi-variate and multi-variate statistics are used to examine the determinants of wasting. RESULTS: The bi-variate analysis showed significant differences ( p < 0.001) in the prevalence of wasting among under 5s according to age of the child, region, and wealth status. On the other hand, the multi-variate analysis revealed that the odds of wasting were lower among children aged 24-35 months (Odds ratio (OR) = 0.37; p < 0.001), those from households of the middle wealth quintile (OR = 0.49, p < 0.05) and with health insurance (OR = 0.70; p < 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Programmes and policies aimed at ensuring the survival of children during the first 24 months of life should be strengthened to reduce the risk of wasting among under 5s. Also, efforts should be made by the relevant government agencies and other stakeholders to strengthen the socio-economic status of mothers to enable them to provide adequate nutrition and improve access to health insurance for their children in order to reduce the incidence of wasting among these children.

Perceived discrimination, anxiety and mood disorders among university students during the COVID-19 era: evidence from a cross-sectional survey in a Ghanaian public university.

Introduction: Before 2020 and the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental disorders, including anxiety and mood disorders, were considered the leading causes of the global disease burden. There is evidence from multiple countries and social contexts that suggest the high risk of anxiety and mood disorders among students. Yet, there is a knowledge gap concerning understanding the association between the experience of discrimination and the risk of anxiety and mood disorders. We examined the association between the experience of discrimination and the risk of anxiety and mood disorders among university students. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional survey among university students in Ghana. A quota sampling technique was used to recruit 1,601 students. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. All data were analyzed using Stata. Binary logistic regression model was used to examine the significant association between the outcome variable and the explanatory variables. Results: The prevalence of anxiety disorder among the respondents was 67 per cent. Students who had experienced discrimination or had any member of their family experienced discrimination had higher odds (OR = 4.59, Cl = 2.64, 7.96) of anxiety and mood disorder compared to those who had not experienced any form of discrimination. Respondents aged 20-24 years had higher odds (OR = 1.47, Cl = 1.16, 1.85) of anxiety and mood disorder than those aged 15-19. Students with a high perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 had a higher odd (OR = 1.52, CI = 1.10, 2.10) compared to those with a low perceived risk. Conclusion: The findings underscore a need for university authorities to lay out clear initiatives that will reinforce and meet the mental health needs of university students during and after periods of crisis, such as returning from COVID-19 lockdown. There must be a conscious effort to advocate and raise students' awareness of anxiety disorders. Also, it is imperative to create support groups within the university set up to address the mental health needs of all students. Younger students should be the primary focus of these interventions.