Association of Nutrient Intake Adequacy and Malnutrition among Primary School Children in an Urban Community, Southeast Nigeria-Cross Sectional Descriptive Study

Background: Nutrient intake adequacy is the bedrock of normal nutritional status among children. Studies have shown the devastating impact of childhood malnutrition despite current interventional strategies. Hence the need to explore the possible association of inadequate nutrient intake and malnutrition among school children. Objectives: This study aim to determine the association of nutrient intake adequacy and childhood malnutrition. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study carried out on 272 pupils, however 203 of the participants were enrolled for analysis, as 69 of them were excluded since they had mis-report of energy intake. Socio-demographic data was collected using a pretested interviewer administered questionnaire. The adequacy of nutrients present in their immediate past 24-hour dietary recall was analyzed using Nigerian and West African food composition table software. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 windows with level of significance set at 5%. Results: Out of 203 primary school aged children enroll for the analysis, 116(57.1%) were male, with male to female ratio of 1.3:1. Inadequate intake of all macronutrients, vitamin A and calcium were associated with under-nutrition (p < 0.05). While inadequate intake of total energy, fat and calcium were associated with overweight/obesity (p <0.05). Conclusion: Adequate fortification of routine meals to provide daily requirement of macro and micronutrients, especially vitamin A and calcium, can help mitigate the impact of malnutrition in the sub region