Associations between child neglect, informal interventions in food neglect, and child stunting: Evidence from the Ghana families study

Growing evidence points to the significance of compliance with proper nutrition practices and food support programs in preventing stunting. This study examined whether protective informal interventions in food neglect (an informal practice that provides supportive food), and the collective value of Ubuntu protect against stunting. We used a random, stratified three-stage cluster design to collect a nationally representative sample of 1,100 female caregivers in Ghana. Twenty-two settlements were randomly selected using probability proportional to size sampling. The female caregivers reported on their neglect perpetration using the neglect subscale of the conflict tactics scale and the acts of informal intervention they have received from their family members. A fixed effects logistic regression model was used to estimate the association between informal intervention in food neglect and child stunting. Of the 1,100 female caregivers, 650 were selected from rural settlements and 450 from urban settlements. The overall estimate for stunting prevalence in Ghana, in this study, is 70.3 % ± 3 %. Informal intervention in food neglect was associated with lower odds of stunting (OR = 0.62, p < 0.014 CI [0.42, 0.91]). The odds of stunting are two times lower for each unit increase in commitment to the value of childcare in Ubuntu (OR = 0.50, p < 0.035 CI [0.26, 0.95]). Promoting community collective values of childcare and making stunting prevention a public health priority for everyone through informal interventions may be an effective means of reducing the prevalence of stunting in Ghana.