Investigating the contextual drivers and factors impacting child growth failure in Mining Communities; A Structural Equation Modeling approach. 

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> <bold>Objective</bold>: Child growth and nutritional development are significantly impacted by various factors. This paper investigated the contextual drivers influencing child growth failure in local communities dominated by mining activities. <bold>Methods: </bold>The study employed a cross-sectional study design and comprised a random sample of 781 under-five children and their caregivers. Structured interviews were conducted with caregivers, and anthropometric measurements were taken from the children. Bivariate chi-square, Structural Equation Modeling and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. <bold>Results: </bold>Over half (51%) of the children were female. On average, households consisted of 6.1±2.7 SD persons. Primary caregivers had an average age of 24.2±9.4 while the children's average age was 21.3±15.7 SD months. The average height of children was 80.4±13.7 SD with a height-for-age Z-Score of 0.2±4.9 SD. Further, 35% of children experience child growth failure. Drivers include; age-caregiver [AOR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.028- 1.056], high-school education [AOR = 0.24, 95% CI = 0.089 - 0.677], unemployment-housewife [AOR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.226 - 0.901], feeding-strategies [AOR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.226 - 0.663] and cooking-duration [AOR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.131 - 4.129]. <bold>Conclusion: </bold>Child growth failure remains a concern, with individual and contextual-level factors identified as significant contributors and thus crucial to take them into account when designing nutrition interventions in vulnerable communities. Therefore, as mining cooperation’s undertake corporate social investment initiatives, it's crucial to consider contextual factors in the design of community interventions.