Faculty Research Grant 2022-2023

Sozina Katuli and Letrisha Stallard (Rehabilitation Sciences).

Assessment of nutritional status of children under five years old in Kihurio Village, Tanzania.

Abstract:  This study addresses various health assessment needs in the Kihurio village, as part of a larger mission project that aims to develop a model for sustainable projects. Two mission visits in this village have found that children under the age of five years are likely to be malnourished due to poor diet. These findings were revealed during participatory health needs assessments done in 2017 and 2021. A further investigation therefore is necessary to address the emerging health problems, including hypertension and malnutrition. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of malnutrition in Kihurio village and neighboring communities and identify factors contributing to protein energy malnutrition. Results of this study will be beneficial to the community and the health unit of the North East Tanzania SDA Conference, as a basis for developing sustainable health programs and intervention for the community.