Date of Award

11-2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MS in Epidemiology & Biostatistics

First Advisor

Dr Amna Rehana Siddiqui

Second Advisor

Syed Iqbal Azam

Third Advisor

Dr Romaina Iqbal

Department

Community Health Sciences

Abstract

Background: In South Asia, poor nutrition is the contributory cause of child mortality and morbidity. Consequently, increasing nutrition and addressing the associated risk factors of malnutrition is essential and requires multisectoral intervention initiatives. Objective: The current study's objective was to determine the association between a Mother’s Exposure to Mass Media, and wasting among children 0-59 months of age accounting for sociodemographic characteristics of study population.
Methods: A sample of data from 2,217 children aged 0-59 months of age was obtained, from the 2017-2018 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS). Cox proportional algorithm for complex survey method was used to determine the relationship of wasting status in children < 5 years of age with mass media exposure in mothers, defined according to PDHS by “how frequently the mothers typically read a magazine or a newspaper, listen to radio, or watch TV on a weekly basis”, and identify significant risk-factors associated with wasting.
Results: The study revealed a prevalence of 6.8% for wasting among a sample of 2,217 children aged under 59 months. Factors associated with wasting, included lack of mass media exposure among mothers, households belonging to the two lowest wealth index quintiles, the decreasing age in years of the child, the absence of diarrhea, unemployed mothers and residence in urban areas. The variable of the age of child (0-11 months) was found to have a strong statistical significance with an adjusted prevalence ratio of 3.93 (95%CI CI:1.94-4.92). The adjusted prevalence ratio of wasting among children under 5 years of age whose mothers had exposure to Television, was 0.86 (95%-CI:0.72-0.98) times the prevalence among children under 5 years of age whose mothers had no media exposure, keeping residence, age of child, wealth index, child having diarrhea in preceding 2 weeks and mother’s employment status constant.
Conclusion: The findings underscore the significant role of a mother's exposure to mass media as a crucial factor associated with wasting. Children whose mothers had access to television, radio, or newspapers exhibited significantly lower prevalence of wasting. Moreover, the study highlights various other factors linked to wasting, including socioeconomic status, child's age, maternal employment, and urban residence. These results emphasize the urgent need for targeted, multisectoral interventions addressing these factors to curb child wasting in the region. Implementing strategies that enhance media accessibility and coverage, alongside broader socioeconomic improvements, holds the potential to significantly reduce child malnutrition and Page | 5 mortality, contributing to a healthier future for the region's children. The authorities can develop Targeted Health Education and Counseling Programs for mothers focusing on improving children’s diet by media content on improving feeding practices, nutrition and hygiene. Utilizing mass media as a tool to disseminate nutrition-related information and messages and implement social safety net programs to support families in the lowest wealth index quintiles

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1

Last Page

49

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