Growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) is a prevention activity comprised of growth monitoring (GM) linked with promotion that serves as the core activity in an integrated child health and nutrition program. However, different methods of institutional studies have shown that utilization of GM services has remained to be inadequate. There is scarcity of studies conducted about GMP in quantitative method. Therefore, this study was conducted to address the proportion of GMP services and associated factors among children under two years of age in rural communities of Mareka district, Southern Ethiopia. Community based cross-sectional survey was conducted from August to September 2015. Single population proportion formula was used to determine the sample size with multi stage sampling technique. A total of 819 children under two years of age were included. Pretest was done on 10% of the total sample size. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 software. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions used to analyze data. The response rate was 95%. Utilization of GMP services was 16.9%. Institutional delivery AOR (95% CI): 3.01(1.65–5.50), index child age 12–17 months AOR (95% CI): 4.03(2.16–7.51) and 18–23 months AOR (95% CI): 3.08(1.70–5.57), family size 4–5 AOR(95% CI): 0.14(0.06–0.33), family size >5 AOR(95% CI): 0.34(0.14–0.82), regular GMP attendance AOR (95% CI): 4.37(2.45–7.80), medium wealth index AOR(95% CI): 3.14(1.51–6.52) and high wealth index AOR(95% CI): 3.24(1.59–6.62) were factors associated with utilization of GMP services. Utilization of GMP services was low. Thus, efforts should be made to improve utilization of GMP services through promotion of institutional delivery, different family planning methods, and regular GMP attendance.

Background: Optimal infant and young child feeding practices are essential for normal growth, better health, and mental and physical development. Even though there are a lot of nutrition intervention programs in Ethiopia, still suboptimal feeding practices are prevalent. This study was devised to assess a level of minimum acceptable diet (MAD) and predictors among children aged 6-23 months in Mareka District, south Ethiopia. Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was employed on 662 study participants from August 15 to September 15/ 2015. They were selected by a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected by interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaires. Statistical significance was declared at p-value <0.05 at multivariable logistic regression. Result: The study showed that 35.5 % of the children aged 6-23 months met the recommended MAD. Maternal primary and secondary education (AOR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.15-3.16 and AOR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.12-3.77), Media exposure (AOR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.46-3.29), health facility delivery (AOR:2.52; 95% CI: 1.54-4.13), child age of 9-11 and 12-23 months (AOR:2.73; 95% CI: 1.41-5.49 and AOR:2.55; 95% CI: 1.39-4.69) and GMP service utilization (AOR: 4.09; 95% CI: 2.51-6.65) were associated with MAD of children. Conclusion: The level of MAD among children was low. Maternal educational status, media exposure, institutional delivery, child age, and GMP service utilization were associated with MAD. Increasing utilization of GMP service, health facility delivery, maternal education, and media promotion was recommended to increase the level of MAD.

Intestinal parasitic infections are the major public health problem globally, mostly in developing countries. World Health Organization recommends deworming to all at-risk people living in endemic areas as a prevention or intervention strategy. Therefore this study aimed to assess the deworming coverage and its predictors among Ethiopian children aged 24-59 months. The study analyzed retrospectively cross-sectional data on a weighted sample of 5,948 children aged 24-59 months nested within 645 clusters after extracting from the Ethiopian Demographic health survey. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression was employed to assess the association of variables. Predictors at p-value < 0.25 were entered into the multivariable logistic regression model, and statistical significance was declared at P-value < 0.05. In this study, the prevalence of maternal reported deworming supplements among children aged 24-59 months was 15.1%. Predictive variables significantly associated with deworming supplementation include maternal media exposure, maternal control of household healthcare decisions, institutional healthcare delivery, and child vitamin-A supplementation. Having history of a diarrheal disease, maternal and paternal education, and family size were also statistically significant predictors of deworming supplements. Therefore, deworming supplementation among children is low. Maternal education and employment, paternal education, family size, decision-making process, maternal media exposure, place of delivery, vitamin-A supplementation, and a having history of diarrhea were predictors of deworming supplements. Multifaceted interventions aimed at those predictors should be given emphasis.

Introduction: In Ethiopia, access to safe drinking water is very low, and even safe water at the point of distribution is subjected to frequent and substantial contamination during collection, transport, and storage. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of household water treatment practices and associated factors in rural households of the Sodo Zuria district, southern Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 836 households using a multistage sampling technique. A structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used. Binary and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used. Results: The household water treatment practice was 44.1%. Households having a higher estimated monthly income, AOR = 1.5 (1.23, 3.47), older age greater than 45 years, AOR = 1.69 (1.08, 2.64), fetching water twice a day, AOR = 2.8 (1.21, 9.17), weekly washing of the water storage container, AOR = 0.3 (0.11, 0.83), and using the dipping technique to draw water from the collection jar, AOR = 1.67 (1.14, 2.42) were significant factors in the practice of household water treatment in the study. Conclusions: The household water treatment practice was low. Higher estimated monthly income, older household heads, fetching water twice per day, washing the water storage container weekly, and dipping techniques to draw water from water storage containers were significant factors of household water treatment practices. Thus, proper hygiene of water storage, and engaging the community in income-generating activities were recommended.

Adequate nutrition is essential for early childhood to ensure healthy growth, proper organ formation, and function, a strong immune system, neurological and cognitive development. The main aim of the present study was to assess the effect of maternal employment on nutritional status among children aged 6–23 months in the town of Bale Robe, Ethiopia. A community-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on about 597 (293 unemployed and 304 employed) having children aged 6–23-month-old children sampled were employed with a multistage sampling technique. A face-to-face interview was conducted using a structured pretested questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used for the statistical analysis. The magnitude of stunting (39.9 %), underweight (39⋅9 %) and wasting (22⋅2 %) was greater in 6–23-month-old children born to employed mothers than their counterparts in unemployed ones [stunted (31⋅3 %), underweight (24⋅0 %) and wasted (11⋅8 %)]. Being a girl [AOR 0⋅31; 95 % CI (0⋅17, 0⋅54)] in employed mothers and [AOR 0⋅29; 95 % CI (0⋅16, 0⋅51)] in unemployed people significantly protected stunting. This study demonstrated that the nutritional status of 6–23-month-old children is better among unemployed mothers than among employed mothers. Therefore, concerted efforts may decrease child undernutrition in a study area.