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Productive and Reproductive Roles of Women and Associated Factors on the Nutritional Status of Children in Kilindi District, Tanzania

Received: 29 April 2024     Accepted: 16 May 2024     Published: 3 June 2024
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Abstract

Background: The prevalence of stunting can be caused or lessened by the nature of women's productive and reproductive roles. The objective of this study was to examine the risk factors of child stunting based on the productive and reproductive roles of women among crop farmers and agro-pastoralists in Kilindi District. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 209 crop farmers and 136 agro-pastoralist women with children aged 6–23 months was conducted. A structured questionnaire was used to gather information on household demographics; time allocated for reproductive roles, women's involvement in maize farming and sale of maize produce. Anthropometric measurements were taken to determine the nutritional status of children. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20. Risk factors of stunting were determined using multivariate logistic regressions. Chi-square was used to determine the relationship between women's involvement in maize farming and the sale of maize in households and stunting. Results: The results from crop farmers revealed that being a male had an increased possibility of stunting by 2.601 times compared to being female (OR = 2.601, 95% CI; 1.302, 5.196). Children aged 13-18 months (OR = 2.820, 95% CI; 1.295, 6.143) and 19-23 months (OR= 4.999, 95% CI; 1.829, 13.664) increased the likelihood of stunting by 2.820 and 4.999 times respectively compared to children aged 6-12 months. Mothers with no formal education augmented the chance of being stunted by 2.212 times compared to mothers with primary education (OR = 2.212, 95% CI; 1.019, 4.799). There is a decreasing probability of children being stunted as time spent on cooking between 21 and 30 hours per week among agro-pastoralist women. Crop farmer women who collected firewood between 11 and 15 hours per week had a 0.205 times lower risk of increasing stunting. Children's age, gender, and mother's level of education all increased the likelihood of stunting among crop farmers. Cooking time (21-30 hours per week) among agro-pastoralists and collection of firewood (11-15 hours per week) among crop farmers had a lower risk of increasing the likelihood of stunting. Nutritional interventions should address maternal education, proper child care, and feeding practices.

Published in Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences (Volume 12, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.jfns.20241203.14
Page(s) 153-163
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Productive Roles, Reproductive Roles, Stunting, Nutritional Intervention

References
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  • APA Style

    Hillary, M. M., Mbwana, H. A. (2024). Productive and Reproductive Roles of Women and Associated Factors on the Nutritional Status of Children in Kilindi District, Tanzania. Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences, 12(3), 153-163. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20241203.14

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    ACS Style

    Hillary, M. M.; Mbwana, H. A. Productive and Reproductive Roles of Women and Associated Factors on the Nutritional Status of Children in Kilindi District, Tanzania. J. Food Nutr. Sci. 2024, 12(3), 153-163. doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20241203.14

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    AMA Style

    Hillary MM, Mbwana HA. Productive and Reproductive Roles of Women and Associated Factors on the Nutritional Status of Children in Kilindi District, Tanzania. J Food Nutr Sci. 2024;12(3):153-163. doi: 10.11648/j.jfns.20241203.14

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  • @article{10.11648/j.jfns.20241203.14,
      author = {Mtagulwa Mzee Hillary and Hadijah Ally Mbwana},
      title = {Productive and Reproductive Roles of Women and Associated Factors on the Nutritional Status of Children in Kilindi District, Tanzania
    },
      journal = {Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences},
      volume = {12},
      number = {3},
      pages = {153-163},
      doi = {10.11648/j.jfns.20241203.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20241203.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.jfns.20241203.14},
      abstract = {Background: The prevalence of stunting can be caused or lessened by the nature of women's productive and reproductive roles. The objective of this study was to examine the risk factors of child stunting based on the productive and reproductive roles of women among crop farmers and agro-pastoralists in Kilindi District. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 209 crop farmers and 136 agro-pastoralist women with children aged 6–23 months was conducted. A structured questionnaire was used to gather information on household demographics; time allocated for reproductive roles, women's involvement in maize farming and sale of maize produce. Anthropometric measurements were taken to determine the nutritional status of children. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20. Risk factors of stunting were determined using multivariate logistic regressions. Chi-square was used to determine the relationship between women's involvement in maize farming and the sale of maize in households and stunting. Results: The results from crop farmers revealed that being a male had an increased possibility of stunting by 2.601 times compared to being female (OR = 2.601, 95% CI; 1.302, 5.196). Children aged 13-18 months (OR = 2.820, 95% CI; 1.295, 6.143) and 19-23 months (OR= 4.999, 95% CI; 1.829, 13.664) increased the likelihood of stunting by 2.820 and 4.999 times respectively compared to children aged 6-12 months. Mothers with no formal education augmented the chance of being stunted by 2.212 times compared to mothers with primary education (OR = 2.212, 95% CI; 1.019, 4.799). There is a decreasing probability of children being stunted as time spent on cooking between 21 and 30 hours per week among agro-pastoralist women. Crop farmer women who collected firewood between 11 and 15 hours per week had a 0.205 times lower risk of increasing stunting. Children's age, gender, and mother's level of education all increased the likelihood of stunting among crop farmers. Cooking time (21-30 hours per week) among agro-pastoralists and collection of firewood (11-15 hours per week) among crop farmers had a lower risk of increasing the likelihood of stunting. Nutritional interventions should address maternal education, proper child care, and feeding practices.
    },
     year = {2024}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Productive and Reproductive Roles of Women and Associated Factors on the Nutritional Status of Children in Kilindi District, Tanzania
    
    AU  - Mtagulwa Mzee Hillary
    AU  - Hadijah Ally Mbwana
    Y1  - 2024/06/03
    PY  - 2024
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20241203.14
    DO  - 10.11648/j.jfns.20241203.14
    T2  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
    JF  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
    JO  - Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences
    SP  - 153
    EP  - 163
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-7293
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jfns.20241203.14
    AB  - Background: The prevalence of stunting can be caused or lessened by the nature of women's productive and reproductive roles. The objective of this study was to examine the risk factors of child stunting based on the productive and reproductive roles of women among crop farmers and agro-pastoralists in Kilindi District. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 209 crop farmers and 136 agro-pastoralist women with children aged 6–23 months was conducted. A structured questionnaire was used to gather information on household demographics; time allocated for reproductive roles, women's involvement in maize farming and sale of maize produce. Anthropometric measurements were taken to determine the nutritional status of children. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20. Risk factors of stunting were determined using multivariate logistic regressions. Chi-square was used to determine the relationship between women's involvement in maize farming and the sale of maize in households and stunting. Results: The results from crop farmers revealed that being a male had an increased possibility of stunting by 2.601 times compared to being female (OR = 2.601, 95% CI; 1.302, 5.196). Children aged 13-18 months (OR = 2.820, 95% CI; 1.295, 6.143) and 19-23 months (OR= 4.999, 95% CI; 1.829, 13.664) increased the likelihood of stunting by 2.820 and 4.999 times respectively compared to children aged 6-12 months. Mothers with no formal education augmented the chance of being stunted by 2.212 times compared to mothers with primary education (OR = 2.212, 95% CI; 1.019, 4.799). There is a decreasing probability of children being stunted as time spent on cooking between 21 and 30 hours per week among agro-pastoralist women. Crop farmer women who collected firewood between 11 and 15 hours per week had a 0.205 times lower risk of increasing stunting. Children's age, gender, and mother's level of education all increased the likelihood of stunting among crop farmers. Cooking time (21-30 hours per week) among agro-pastoralists and collection of firewood (11-15 hours per week) among crop farmers had a lower risk of increasing the likelihood of stunting. Nutritional interventions should address maternal education, proper child care, and feeding practices.
    
    VL  - 12
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania

  • Department of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania

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