Stunting and associated factors among 6–23 month old children in drought vulnerable kebeles of Demba Gofa district, southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Background Stunting is impaired linear growth of children: they experience stunting in the first 1000 days after conception and is an indication of chronic malnutrition. Children under the age of two are regarded as the most vulnerable to malnutrition due to their rapid growth and greater exposure to infectious disease. Objective To assess the magnitude and associated factors of stunting among 6 to 23-month-old children in drought-vulnerable kebeles of the Demba Gofa district, southern Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2021. Systematic random sampling was used to select pairs of mothers/caregivers with children aged 6 to 23 months. A semistructured questionnaire and anthropometric measurement were used to collect the data. The data were checked coded and entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS for Windows version 20.0 for analysis. Simple and multivariable linear regressions were conducted. The level of significance was declared at 95% CI and p-value < 0.05. Results The magnitude of stunting in the study area was 79(21.82%). Household dietary diversity [β = 0.217, 95% CI, 0.093–0.342], early initiation of complementary feeding [β = 0.444, 95% CI, 0.344–0.543], frequency of breastfeeding within 24 h [β = 0.217, 95% CI, 0.179–0.263] and child eating animal source food [β = 0.351, 95% CI, 0.196–0.506] were positively significant predictors of child height/length-for-age (HAZ). Conclusion The extent of stunting in the study area is relatively lower than that in regional and national reports, but one out of five children were still stunted. Therefore, health education on infant and young child feeding practices should be provided to mothers to reduce the problem.

Learning from the Community to Predict Nutrition Status of Children Aged 6–24 Months in Gulu District, Northern Uganda: A Case Control Study

“…Specifically, having less than five children aged below five years in a household was shown to be a significant predictor for good nutrition status even after adjusting for other confounders at multivariable analysis. Similar findings were reported in Ethiopia [ 18 ], Pakistan [ 31 ] and Malaysia [ 32 ]. In Ethiopia, children from households with less than three under-five children were about 4.5 times less likely to be undernourished (underweight) as compared to their counterparts from households with three or more children under-five (AOR = 4.52; 95% CI.…”

“…Use of any family planning method by mothers was also significantly associated with the child’s optimal nutrition status. A similar study in Ethiopia [ 18 ] showed that a child whose mother was not using family planning was about 2.5 times more likely to be stunted as compared to those who used family planning (AOR = 2.54 95% CI. 1.12–5.77).…”

“…This is supported by study findings from Ethiopia which reported that family planning was positively associated (AOR = 2.54; 95% CI. 1.12–5.77) with well-nourished children [ 18 ]. These results clearly indicate that well-spaced children are given adequate attention by their mothers/caretakers to promote their growth and nourishment [ 13 , 19 ].…”

“…In Ethiopia, children from households with less than three under-five children were about 4.5 times less likely to be undernourished (underweight) as compared to their counterparts from households with three or more children under-five (AOR = 4.52; 95% CI. 1.01–20.33) [ 18 ].…”

Determinants of undernutrition among young children in Ethiopia

“…In Ethiopia, malnutrition contributes more than 50 percent of all infant and child deaths 8 , and according to the recent 2019 Ethiopian mini Demographic and Health Survey (EMDHS), the prevalence of stunting (37%), wasting (7%) and underweight (21%) was unacceptably high 13 . Moreover, existing primary studies in different parts of the country have reported high burden of undernutrition in children aged 0–23 months- with prevalence of stunting (21.8%-42⋅7%) 11 , 14 – 16 , wasting (9.9%-11.6%) 16 , and underweight (27.7%) 16 . Ethiopia as a nation is still dealing with a number of underlying vulnerabilities for childhood malnutrition, including food insecurity 17 , 18 , caused by multifactorial determinants such as prolonged drought and famine, poverty and civil unrest 19 – 21 .…”