Long-Term Impact of Climate Variability on Child Malnutrition: Exploring Nutrition-Sensitive Advisory Services Interventions in Vulnerable Populations of Semi-Arid Nigeria

This study investigates the long-term impact of climate variability on child malnutrition in semi-arid Nigeria, focusing on the role of Nutrition-Sensitive Advisory Services (NSAS) interventions. Given the increasing vulnerability of rural populations to climate-induced food insecurity, this research evaluates how NSAS participation influences dietary diversity, anthropometric indicators, and overall nutritional outcomes. Using a mixed-methods approach, primary data were collected through household surveys and dietary assessments, while secondary data from meteorological records and health reports provided climate and nutrition trends over the past three decades. An econometric modelling framework, including panel data regression analysis, was used to estimate the relationship between climate variability (temperature and precipitation anomalies) and malnutrition outcomes (stunting, wasting). Additionally, difference-in-differences (DiD) and propensity score matching (PSM) techniques assessed the effectiveness of NSAS interventions. Findings reveal that NSAS participation significantly improves children's dietary diversity, with participants achieving a mean score of 5.33 compared to 3.99 for non-participants. Anthropometric indicators also suggest that NSAS engagement contributes to reducing child malnutrition, with participants showing improved height-for-age z-scores (HAZ), weight-for-height z-scores (WHZ), and weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ) compared to non-participants. Specifically, HAZ for participants was -1.57, compared to -1.98 for non-participants, with significant improvements in WHZ and WAZ as well. Moreover, NSAS households exhibit higher education levels and income, which correlate with improved nutritional knowledge, decision-making, and economic resilience. The results underscore the importance of integrating nutrition-sensitive approaches into climate adaptation strategies, particularly in food-insecure regions, and highlight the need for further research into the sustainability and scalability of such interventions.