Maternal Socioeconomic Factors, Childcare Practices, and Their Association with Nutritional Outcomes of Under-Five Children in Dass Local Government Area, Bauchi State, Nigeria

Background: Child undernutrition remains a critical public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where maternal caring capacity, including knowledge, time allocation, and socioeconomic resources, is a key determinant of child nutritional outcomes. However, context-specific data from high-burden areas such as Bauchi State, Nigeria, are scarce. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 267 mother-child dyads selected by systematic random sampling from ten wards of Dass Local Government Area, Bauchi State, Nigeria. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, child-care practices, and mothers' working status were collected using a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were converted to z-scores using World Health Organization growth standards. Associations were examined using Spearman's rank correlation. Results: Nearly a quarter of mothers (23.2%) were aged 21-25 years, 32.6% were full housewives, and 52.8% earned ≤N10,000 monthly. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months was practiced by only 40.8% of mothers, while 47.2% initiated complementary feeding between 7 and 13 months. Overall, 93.3% of children had normal weight-for-age, but 6.0% were severely stunted and 3.3% were mildly underweight. Spearman's correlation revealed significant associations between maternal working time (r = 0.182, p = 0.049), maternal nutritional knowledge (r = 0.184, p = 0.024), maternal occupation (r = 0.167, p = 0.042), maternal education (r = 0.187, p = 0.022), monthly income (r = 0.173, p = 0.034), and child-care practices/nutritional status. Conclusion: Mothers' working hours, income level, and educational status are significantly associated with the nutritional status of their under-five children. Integrated poverty-reduction strategies, improved maternal nutrition education, and workplace-based childcare support are urgently needed to reduce malnutrition in this vulnerable population