An anthropometric profile of children younger than 36 months and food provisioning in early childhood development centres in Tutaleni informal settlement, Walvis Bay, Namibia

BackgroundChildren under 36 months experience rapid growth, making proper nutrition crucial for their development and health. Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres play a key role in meeting these needs when parents are unavailable. Children spend 5-10 h daily in these centres, where they receive up to 70% of their nutritional needs.AimThis study aimed to develop an anthropometric profile of children under 36 months and assess food provisioning in ECD centres in Tutaleni Informal Settlement, Walvis Bay, Namibia.MethodologyA cross-sectional, observational design with a quantitative approach was used. A census sampling strategy selected 110 children from 13 ECD centres. Demographic and anthropometric data were collected, cleaned, and analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) version 27. WHO Anthro software version 3.2.2.1 was used to assess growth indices.SummaryThe study found that stunting affected 8.2% of children, predominantly boys and those aged 12-23 months. Wasting and overweight each had a prevalence of 5.5%, while underweight was 4.5%. None of the ECD centres provided meals; all children brought food from home, commonly yoghurt (100%), bread with jam (92.3%), pasta (92.3%), fruits, cooked rice (84.6%), and porridge (76.9%). Feeding mainly involved bottles (92.3%), with commercial formula used more frequently (76.9%) than expressed breastmilk (23.1%). These findings highlight ongoing malnutrition concerns in the ECD centres, stressing the need for targeted interventions, including caregiver and parental training on optimal feeding, to improve food environments and support healthy child development.