Stunting and its associated factors in children aged 6–59 months in Ilubabor zone, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Purpose Stunting, which refers to low height-for-age, is one of the most important public health problems in Ethiopia, and it more accurately reflects nutritional deficiencies and illness that occur during the most critical periods for growth and development in early life. Given this, this paper aims at determining the magnitude and factors associated with stunting among 6–59 month old children in Ilubabor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach This paper opted for a descriptive study using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and anthropometric measurements of 617 children aged 6–59 months. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 and World Health Organization (WHO) Anthro software. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of stunting. Findings About 33.7% of children aged 6–59 months included in this study were stunted. The proportion of moderate and severe stunting among the stunted children was 26.4% and 7.3%, respectively. Large family size (AOR = 4.0; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.5, 6.4), low dietary diversity score (AOR = 7.8; 95% CI: 4.6, 13.0) and household food insecurity (AOR = 16.4; 95% CI: 10.0, 26.7) were independent predictors of stunting. Research limitations/implications Reporting and recall bias related to food groups consumed over the past seven days and seasonal variation may affect the findings related to factors associated with stunting. Practical implications Globally, it is estimated that nearly 165 million children under the age of five are stunted. Outcomes associated with stunting include increased risk of mortality, increased disease risk, developmental delays, diminished ability to learn and lower school achievement and reduced lifelong productivity. So, determining the level of stunting in a particular community is important to design strategies for curbing the contributing factors. Originality/value This study’s community-based design yields a representative sample of study subjects in the Hurumu district, which is valuable for intervention methods and actions. Standardized tools that are validated for use by the World Health Organization are used. Besides, anthropometric data were analyzed using the updated WHO Anthro software.

Factors associated with inadequate dietary diversity among adolescent girls in Hurumu Woreda High School, Oromia Region, Southwest Ethiopia

“…This finding is consistent with the study conducted in Woldia northeast Ethiopia (14), and Welfare Monitoring Survey of Ethiopia, 2011 (38). It is an inevitable reality that as the number of family members increases, it becomes more difficult for them to provide adequate and diverse food to meet everyone's needs (39). As a result, the parent prioritizes and focuses solely on meeting daily needs rather than dietary quality.…”

Magnitude of undernutrition and its associated factors in children attending Child Welfare Clinics in Techiman Municipal, Ghana

“…Nigeria, Indonesia and India), the prevalence of stunting in children under five years exceeds 30% (Menon et al , 2018; Olusanya et al , 2010; Hanifah et al , 2018) and some studies have even reported the prevalence of stunting to be as high as 52.1% (Linasari, 2021) and 80% (Kohlmann et al , 2021). In addition, a recent study among Southwest Ethiopian children also report the prevalence of stunting to be more than 30% (Zewdie et al , 2021). Undernutrition in young children is a problem of public health importance in most developing countries, accounting for significant morbidity and mortality.…”