TY - JOUR AU - Adenike Jimoh AU - Jane Anyiam AU - Alhassan Yakubu PY - 2017/09/25 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Relationship between child development and nutritional status of under-five Nigerian children JF - South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition JA - SAJCN VL - 31 IS - 3 SE - CPD Articles DO - UR - http://sajcn.redbricklibrary.com/index.php/SAJCN/article/view/1190 AB - Introduction: Nutrition is a major factor that can have long-term effects on the brain’s structural and functional capacity. The interplay between nutrition and child development cannot be overemphasised, especially in developing countries.Objectives: The study aimed to assess the nutritional status of under-fives and determine the relationship between the nutritional status and their developmental quotient.Methodology: A cross-sectional study was undertaken involving 415 under-fives aged 6–59 months in selected pre-schools and immunisation centres. Developmental assessment was done using the Schedule of Growing Skills II. The nutritional status was assessed using the WHO growth charts for weight-for-age, weight-for-height and height-for-age. Chi-square and odds ratio with 95% confidence interval were used to determine the association between nutritional status and selected developmental domains.Results: The mean age was 32.6 ± 15.9 months. The male to female ratio was 1.2:1. The overall prevalence of developmental delay was 35.4%, with manipulative domain accounting for the highest delay (25.8%). The prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight was 9.1, 3.8 and 3.8% while 2.2% were overweight. Weight-for-age had a significant association with the hearing and language domain (OR 3.25, 95% CI 1.09–9.72, p = 0.036,) and interactive social domain (OR 5.0, 95% CI 2.0–13.0, p = 0.001).Conclusion: The nutritional status of a child has an effect on certain developmental domains of that child. Interventions to improve the nutritional status of under-fives will go a long way to facilitating the development of this group of children.(Full text available online at www.medpharm.tandfonline.com/ojcn)South Afr J Clin Nutr 2018; DOI: 10.1080/16070658.2017.1387434 ER -