en Nursing Orginal research <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="line-height:2;"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i><span new="" roman="" times="">Background:</span></i></b></span> <span new="" roman="" times="">Malnutrition is a deficiency or excess of nutrients in an individual. Includes under-nutrition and micronutrient-related malnutrition. It causes about half of all fatalities in children below five years; it increases the chance of a child dying from common ailments. Cultural determinants are associated with malnutrition in children ages 6-59 months</span><span new="" roman="" times="">. </span></span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i><span new="" roman="" times="">Objectives:</span></i></b></span><span style="color:#000066;"><b><i><span new="" roman="" times=""> </span></i></b></span><span new="" roman="" times="">The study sought to establish the determinants contributing to child malnutrition in West Pokot County of Kenya.</span></span></span><br> <span new="" roman="" times=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i>Methods:</i></b></span><span style="color:black"> This was a cross-sectional study. Multistage cluster sampling was applied. Anthropometric measures of 420 children aged 6-59 months in Pokot North Sub-County were assessed. Data was collected from August to September 2022 using an online questionnaire. Pretesting was done for validity and reliability. SPSS v.2022 was used for data analysis. Chi-Square, Odds Ratios, and Confidence Intervals were used to test variables.</span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i><span new="" roman="" times="">Results</span></i><span new="" roman="" times="">:</span></b></span><span new="" roman="" times=""> Mean (SD) age of the respondents&rsquo; children was 29.9 (16.0). Over 60% of children were below 35 weeks. Children with 0-11 months had lower representation (15.2%). 82.4% had one younger sibling. Monogamy (76.8%) had fewer malnutrition cases (OR: 0.5; P=0.015). Violence was high and had an impact on malnutrition (34.5%). Traditional food restrictions caused malnutrition (OR:1.8; 95% CI:1.2-2.8; P=0.006).</span></span></span><br> <span style="unicode-bidi:embed"><span sans-serif=""><span style="color:#2980b9;"><b><i><span new="" roman="" times="">Conclusion:</span></i></b></span><span new="" roman="" times=""> There is evidence that some cultural aspects: types of marriage, caretaker violence, and food taboos contribute to malnutrition in children aged 6-59 months in West Pokot County. Awareness of harmful cultural practices should be implemented. More studies should be done to establish why cultural practices still exist.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> Malnutrition, WHZ, Food Taboos, Cultural Practices 27 39 http://nmcjournal.zums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-930-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Anthony Kipkoech Koross korant88@yahoo.com 100319475328460013974 100319475328460013974 Yes School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedical Science, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya Gordon Nguka gnguka@gmail.com 100319475328460013975 100319475328460013975 No Departments of Nutrition and Dietetics, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya Everlyne Morema emorema@mmust.ac.ke 100319475328460013976 100319475328460013976 No Departments of Community Health Nursing and Extension, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedical Sciences (SONMAPS), Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kakamega, Kenya