Determinants of Nutritional Status among Children Under five age in Ethiopia: A Further Analysis of the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) 2016 Data

Abstract

Child malnutrition is an underlying cause for almost half (45%) of child deaths, particularly in low socioeconomic communities of developing countries like Ethiopia. Globally, in 2018, 149 million children under five were stunted and over 49 million children were wasted. In Ethiopia, from the year 2005 to 2016, there is a decrease in stunting from 47% to 39%, but the prevalence of wasting changed little over the same time period (11% to 10%). Despite efforts made by the Ethiopian government and improvements in reducing malnutrition, the current rate of progress is not fast enough to have reached the global target by 2025.The aim of this study was to examine the determinants of nutritional status among children under five in Ethiopia. This study used data from 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Heath Survey (EDHS) to examine determinants of nutritional status among children under five (0-59 months). This study used stunting and wasting as dependent variables for the analysis. Children's, mothers, households, and environmental characteristics were used as determinant variables. Children not alive, and other missing values were considered as missing and was not included in the analyses. Sample weights were applied in all analysis due to the two stage cluster sampling design in the EDHS datasets. Multicollinearity among independent variables were checked. Logistic regression was used to analyse the determinants of nutritional status among under five age children. Bivariate analysis was also used to analyse the association between the dependent and independent variables. The chi-square test used to see the significance of association. The level of significance for the analysis was p<0.05. Age, and sex of child, educational status and body mass index, and short stature of mothers, residence, region, wealth quintile, toilet facilities and fuel types of households' have significant association with stunting and wasting. However, mother's short stature has significant association with only stunting.The study found child, maternal, household and environmental characteristics were significantly associated with stunting and wasting among of children under five. This implies a multi-sectorial and multidimensional approach is important to address malnutrition in Ethiopia.

Complementary Feeding Habits in Children Under the Age of 2 Years Living in the City of Adama in the Oromia Region in Central Ethiopia: Traditional Ethiopian Food Study

“…In the present study, a lower proportion of the children experienced wasting, stunting, underweight, and low BMI for their age compared with studies from other areas of Ethiopia (26,36). This discrepancy might be related to the difference in the culture of feeding, parents' awareness of WHO feeding recommendations, or socioeconomic variation, access to information or methods of measures on IYCF practices.…”

“…On the other hand, the proportion of children following the recommendations is higher than studies conducted in other parts of the country, including Mekele in northern Ethiopia (62%) (23), Arsi Negelle (72%) (24), and in Sodo town in southern Ethiopia (71%) (25). The proportion is also much higher than the finding from the national prevalence in Ethiopia (56%) (26), Tahatay Maichew (53%) (27), Gonder town in northern Ethiopia (47%) (28), Damot Weydie (50.6%) (29), and Kamba in southern Ethiopia (40.6%) (30).…”

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“…In the present study, a lower proportion of the children experienced wasting, stunting, underweight, and low BMI for their age compared with studies from other areas of Ethiopia (26,36). This discrepancy might be related to the difference in the culture of feeding, parents' awareness of WHO feeding recommendations, or socioeconomic variation, access to information or methods of measures on IYCF practices.…”

“…On the other hand, the proportion of children following the recommendations is higher than studies conducted in other parts of the country, including Mekele in northern Ethiopia (62%) (23), Arsi Negelle (72%) (24), and in Sodo town in southern Ethiopia (71%) (25). The proportion is also much higher than the finding from the national prevalence in Ethiopia (56%) (26), Tahatay Maichew (53%) (27), Gonder town in northern Ethiopia (47%) (28), Damot Weydie (50.6%) (29), and Kamba in southern Ethiopia (40.6%) (30).…”

Under nutrition and Associated factors among infants and young children age 6-23 months attending Minilik II Hospital, Ethiopia, 2021.

“…In Ethiopia, from the year 2005 to 2016, there is a decrease in stunting from 47-39%, but the prevalence of wasting changed little over the same time period (11-10%) (7). Undernutrition among young children was one of the public health problems in Ethiopia.…”