Global Journal of Health Science; Vol. 11, No. 8; 2019 ISSN 1916-9736 E-ISSN 1916-9744 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 8 Sustainable Health Counselling Strategies for Reducing the Impact of Malnutrition Among Rural Children in Nigeria Moses O. Ede 1 , Amanda U. Ugwoezuonu 1 , Chinwe C. Anowai 2 , Nneka Nwosu 1 , Nkechi Egenti 1 , Ngozi C. Uzoagba 3 , Kelechi R. Ede 4 , Michael A. Agu 5 , Clara Ifelunni 1 & Emmanuel C. Okenyi 1 1 Department of Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, P.M.B. 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria 2 Department of Home Economic and Hospitality Management Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria 3 Medical Library, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Ituku Ozalla Enugu Campus, Nigeria 4 Department of Agricultural Science Education, Faculty of Education, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria 5 Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria Correspondrnce: Chinwe C. Anowai (P.hD), Department of Home Economic and Hospitality Management Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. E-mail: chinwe.anowai@unn.edu.ng Received: May 12, 2019 Accepted: June 15, 2019 Online Published: June 20, 2019 doi:10.5539/gjhs.v11n8p8 URL: https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v11n8p8 Abstract Objective: This study aimed to survey the sustainable health counselling strategies for reducing the impact of malnutrition among rural children in Nigeria. Method: The population of the study comprised the entire 209 counsellors. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data collected. Results: The result showed found that providing information about adequate food intake for sustainable health, awareness creation, and counselling, organizing conference on healthy nutrition, providing health awareness for sustainable growth; educating preschoolers’ caregivers on fibre, knowledge of the best choice, knowledge of the sources of vitamin B12; assessing nutritional status of children; information on underweight to avoid obesity; and improving scope feeding behaviour through counselling are strategies that could reduce impacts of malnutrition among rural children in Nigeria. No significant was observed between male and female respondents with regards to sustainable health counselling strategies for reducing the impact of malnutrition among rural children. Conclusion/Suggestion: Since eating practice of the rural children is poor and counselling strategies have been suggested, there is an urgent need for implementation of those strategies. Since evidence-based literature indicated that rural children in developing countries are at high risk of malnutrition and our findings showed strategies to reduce the proportion of children suffering from malnutrition, it implies that a Nutrition Rehabilitation Programme should be introduced to educate them on best nutritional practices. Keywords: health counselling; malnutrition; food intake; rural children 1. Introduction The importance of quality diet in overall growth and development of children at various ages seems to be a major concern of organizations, governments and the world at large. This has continued to be a major to practitioners in clinical psychology, health, and counselling. This is because of the perceived negative impacts of underfeeding on public health in most developing countries like Nigeria. Currently, the media has reported that over ten million children in Nigeria are experiencing severe malnutrition that could lead to mental deformation (Eno, 2017; Olawale, 2017). Prior to this report, the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) (2013) decried the alarming prevalence of malnutrition which was at 29%, (underweight) in children under five years old. Meanwhile, malnutrition in childhood could lead to many chronic diseases later in life. Malnutrition is most simply defined as nutrition imbalance (Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 2011) that leads both underweight and overweight