Urban housing and child nutritional and health status in Accra

Delali M. Badasu, University of Ghana

Recent conceptual frameworks on child development have identified child care as an important determinant of children’s nutritional and health status and as a major factor that either enhances or negatively impacts nutrition and health of children. Child care activities require housing and the facilities and amenities therein for provision of food and protection for children from risks of disease. The present study examined the relationship between housing facility and child nutritional and health status of under-fives in Accra, using mixed research techniques. Higher prevalence rates of wasting, underweight and major health risks were found among children in poor housing facilities with inadequate sanitation facilities and amenities when other household characteristics were controlled for. The study recommends that monitoring of conditions and developments in the housing industry should be incorporated into child health and nutritional promotion policies and programmes in Ghana.