Differences in the nutritional status among beneficiaries of a civil society organization according to sociodemographic and economic covariates
Author Information
Kim Leonard G. dela Luna1, Alvin Duke R. Sy2, Raycha Lei Concess Rama-Sabandal1, Carlos Bernard Jacinto2, Rowel C. Malimban1, Bernardyn Eliza Sales1, Ryan Marollano3, Alberto Marin3, Christle Grace Cubelo4
1Department of Nutrition, College of Public Health, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila, Philippines, 2 Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila, Padre Faura St, Ermita, Manila, Philippines, 3Department of Strategy Management, Impact and Learning, World Vision Development Foundation, Inc., Quezon City, Philippines, 4Operations, World Vision Development Foundation, Inc., Quezon City, Philippines
Philippine Journal of Health Research and Development, Volume 29 Issue 3: 70-78, November 2025. | DOI: 10.4103/PJHRD.PJHRD_20_25
Abstract
High‑risk areas in the Philippines still experience a high prevalence of undernutrition. The efforts of the governments are not enough to reach those who are in need; hence, the presence of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) is crucial. One CSO has implemented health and nutrition technical programs to increase the number of well‑fed children in four selected areas in the Philippines.
Hence, this study aims to characterize the current nutritional situation of children 0–5 years old across the study sites. Furthermore, the study would like to shed light on the differences of the nutritional status of the children when they were characterized according to their sociodemographic and economic covariates across the study sites.
An analytical cross‑sectional study design was conducted in four major sites in the Philippines. The survey was conducted to 692 household beneficiaries, including 764 children aged 0–5 years old. Descriptive analysis and the Chi‑Square test of difference were used to answer the objectives.
The study results show that no significant differences were observed when the nutritional status of the children was characterized according to the sociodemographic of the caregiver, food consumption score (FCS) and food security status, water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) practices, and economic indicators, except weight‑for‑height and marital status of caregivers, and weight‑for‑age and livelihood and economic support received by their caregivers (P = 0.02).
Overall, the study revealed a high prevalence of undernutrition in the study areas. No significant differences were observed in the distribution of undernutrition indicators across most sociodemographic variables, except for weight‑for‑height among children. This suggests that respondents shared similar experiences and access to resources, contributing to the poor nutritional status observed in the children. Most importantly, these findings highlight an opportunity for CSOs to further boost the impact of their health and nutrition interventions by aligning their efforts with government programs, thereby achieving more targeted and effective outcomes.
