Risk Factors Associated with Under-Five Stunting, Wasting, and Underweight Based on Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey Datasets in Tigray Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background. Stunting, wasting, and underweight among children are major problems in most regions of Ethiopia, including the Tigray region. The main objective of this study was to assess the risk factors associated with stunting, wasting, and underweight of children in the Tigray region. Methods. The information collected from 1077 children born 5 years before the survey was considered in the analysis. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was fitted to identify significant risk factors associated with stunting, wasting, and underweight. Results. Male children and rural born were having a higher burden of both severe and moderate stunting, wasting, and underweight than females and urban born. Among male children, 27.6%, 4.10%, and 14.2% of them were stunted, wasted, and underweight, respectively. Protected drinking water (odds ratio (OR) = 0.68; 95% confidence interval (CI): (0.50, 0.92)) was associated with stunting. Maternal age at birth less than 20 years (OR = 0.66; 95% CI: (0.45, 0.97)) and being male (OR = 2.04; 95% CI: (1.13, 3.68)) were associated with high risk of underweight. No antenatal care follow-up (OR = 2.20; 95% CI: (1.04, 4.64)) was associated with wasting, while the poor wealth index, diarrhea, low weight at birth (<2.5 kg), lower age of a child, and 3 or more under-five children in a household were significantly associated with stunting, wasting, and underweight. Conclusions. Being born in rural, being male, unprotected drinking water, smaller weight at birth, no antenatal follow-ups, diarrhea, and poor household wealth were factors associated with increased stunting, wasting, and underweight. Thus, interventions that focus on utilization of antenatal care services, improving household wealth, and improving access to protected drinking water were required by policymakers to decrease stunting, wasting, and underweight more rapidly.

Nutritional Status and Associated Factors Among Children Below Five Years of Age in Somali Region, Ethiopia: Evidence From 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey

“…The risk of being stunted was 1.94 and 1.66 times more likely among children that were aged 25-47 and 48-59 as compared to those aged 0-24 months, respectively. This nding is in line with the studies conducted in Ethiopia [25], in Haramaya district [37], in Pakistan [38], in Amhara region [44] and in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania [45], but against the study conducted in Tigray region [5]. This might be because as children's' growth older, they may have fewer access attentions and not provide su cient food from their families.…”

“…The prevalence of wasting in this study is higher compared to the study conducted in Ethiopia 10.1% [25], in Haramaya district 10.7% [37], in Dale district 14% (32), in Tigray region [5] in Pakistan 10.7% [38] and Nairobi Peri-Urban slum 4.5% [35]. This divergence might be due to the difference in socioeconomic background, variation in sample size, dietary habits and type of meals among the study population.…”

“…In this study, stunting is lower than the studies conducted in in Ethiopia (38.3%) [25], in Shabelle zone, Somali region (30.4%) [31], in Shinille District (33.4%) [32], in Tigray region 39.1% [5] and Takusa district 36.5% [33]. The prevalence of underweight in this nding is higher the studies conducted in Ethiopia (23.3%) [25], in Tigray (23.9%) [5], Dale district19% [34] and Takusa district 19.5% [33]. This gure is lower than the previously reported stunting (46.9%) and underweight (33%), but higher than wasting (11.6%), and in Tigray region [17].…”

“…Malnutrition among under-ve declined from 32.6-22.2% between 2000 and 2017 around the world [4]. In 2018, UNICEF detailed that around 3.1 million children passed on of under-nutrition and malnutrition contributes to more than half of worldwide child deaths [5]. Although there's a global decay within the malnutrition rates of under-5, the chance of lack of healthy sustenance remains tall and it is the major cause of under-ve morbidity and mortality of African particularly sub-Saharan Africa [6].…”

Healthcare Providers and Caregivers’ Perspectives on Factors Underlying the Persistent Malnutrition of Children Aged 0-59 Months in Buhweju District, Southwestern Uganda

“…Malnutrition can be due to local, national and international factors as well as environmental, social, economic, socio-demographic and political causes that are deeply interrelated, and mutually affect each other (Tigga, Sen et al 2015). In Ethiopia, the nutritional wellbeing of infants and young children is negatively associated with being born in rural area, being male, unprotected drinking water, smaller weight at birth, no antenatal follow-ups, diarrhoea, and low household wealth (Woldeamanuel and Tesfaye 2019). Causes of malnutrition in Uganda have equally been associated with immediate, basic and underlying factors as well as food prices, poverty and unemployment (Ickes, Jilcott et al 2012).…”