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Undernutrition status and associated factors in under-5 children, in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Mussie Alemayehu1, Fitiwi Tinsae2, Kiday Haileslassie1

  • 1Department of Public Health, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.

Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)
|June 11, 2015
PubMed

Insights

High rates of stunting, underweight, and wasting were found in children under five in Ethiopia. Factors like maternal education, household food priorities, and water source significantly impact child nutrition.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Nutrition Science

Background:

  • Childhood undernutrition remains a critical public health issue in many developing regions.
  • Assessing nutritional status and identifying associated factors are crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the nutritional status of children under five years old in Ethiopia's Medebay Zana District.
  • To identify key factors associated with undernutrition in this vulnerable population.

Main Methods:

  • A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 605 children under five.
  • Data were collected using a two-stage cluster-sampling technique.
  • Descriptive, binary, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence rates were high: 56.6% stunting, 45.3% underweight, and 34.6% wasting.
  • Maternal education, household food allocation favoring fathers, and unprotected water sources predicted stunting.
  • Early breastfeeding initiation, maternal financial decision-making power, and duration of breastfeeding were associated with wasting.
  • Child's sex, delayed breastfeeding initiation, and maternal financial autonomy influenced underweight status.

Conclusions:

  • Undernutrition is highly prevalent among children under five in the study area.
  • Key influencing factors include child's age, breastfeeding practices, sex, water source, parental education, complementary feeding, and maternal financial autonomy.
Abstract

Keywords:
EthiopiaMedabay ZanaStuntingTigrayUndernutritionUnderweightWasting

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