Spatial distribution and variation of risk factors for poor consumption of foods rich in vitamin A among children age 6 -23 months in Ethiopia. Geographical weighted regression analysis

Abstract

Introduction: Vitamin A deficiency is a major nutritional public health problem in poor societies. Dietary consumption of foods rich in vitamin A was low in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution and its determinants of dietary consumption of foods rich in vitamin A among children age 6-23 months in Ethiopia. Methods: A total of 3055 children were included and data were accessed from 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey dataset . The data was cleaned and weighted by STATA version 14.1 software and Microsoft excel. The Bernoulli model fitted using Kuldorff’s SaTScan version 9.6 software. ArcGIS version 10.7 software was used to visualize spatial distribution for poor consumption of foods rich in vitamin A. Geographical weighted regression analysis was employed by MGWR version 2.0 software. A P-value of less than 0.05 was used to declare statistically significant predictors locally. Results: Overall, 62% (95% CI: 60.56, 64.00) of children age 6-23 months had poor consumption of foods rich in Vitamin A in Ethiopia. Poor consumption of foods rich in vitamin A highly clustered at Afar, eastern Tigray, southeast of Amhara, and eastern Somali region of Ethiopia. Spatial scan statistics identified 142 primary spatial clusters located at Afar, the eastern part of Tigray, most part of Amhara and some part of Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia. Children living in the primary cluster were 46% more likely venerable poor consumption of foods rich in vitamin A than outside the window (RR= 1.46, LLR = 83.78, P < 0.001). Poor wealth status of the household, rural residence and living tropical area of Ethiopia were statistically significant predictors spatially. Conclusion: Overall, the consumption of foods rich in vitamin A was low and spatially non-random in Ethiopia. Poor wealth status of the household, rural residence and living tropical area were significant predictors for the consumption of foods rich vitamin A locally in Ethiopia. Policymakers and health planners should intervene in nutrition intervention at the identified hot spot areas to reduce poor consumption of foods rich in vitamin A among children age 6-23 months.