Determinants of infant nutritional status in Dabat district, North Gondar, Ethiopia: A case control study
1West Gojjam Zonal Health Department, Finoteselam, Ethiopia.
Insights
Infant malnutrition in Ethiopia is linked to poor feeding practices and lack of information. Interventions focusing on maternal counseling, hygiene, and media access can improve infant nutritional status.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Malnutrition is a leading cause of infant mortality globally, with high prevalence in Ethiopia.
- Over two-thirds of infant deaths worldwide occur within the first year of life.
- Understanding infant nutritional status determinants is critical for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the key determinants of infant nutritional status in Dabat district, Ethiopia.
- To identify factors contributing to malnutrition among infants.
- To inform public health strategies for improving infant health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A community-based nested case-control study was conducted in Dabat district.
- Data from 80 cases and 320 controls were analyzed using multivariate analysis.
- Anthroplus software was utilized for case and control identification.
Main Results:
- Maternal age, radio ownership, toilet facility access, colostrum provision, and complementary feeding methods were significantly associated with infant wasting.
- Delayed initiation of breastfeeding and lack of breastfeeding information during antenatal care were noted.
- Specific factors like lack of toilet facility and deprivation of colostrum increased the risk of malnutrition.
Conclusions:
- Inappropriate infant feeding practices, nutritional information gaps, and inadequate sanitation are significant predictors of infant malnutrition.
- Joint interventions addressing maternal counseling on feeding, hygiene, and media utilization are recommended.
- Improving infant nutrition requires a multi-faceted approach including education and access to resources.
Background:
Malnutrition is the top cause of global burden of disease, disability and mortality among infants. Over two-thirds of deaths of children globally occur during the first year of life (infancy). Malnutrition among infants is substantially high in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study is aimed to assess determinants of infant nutritional status.
Methods:
A community based nested case-control study was conducted from February to June 2013 in Dabat district. A total of 80 cases and 320 controls (1:4 ratios) were studied. Relevant data was extracted from the community based survey data set. Anthroplus software was used to identify cases and controls. Determinants of infant nutritional status were identified using multivariate analysis.
Results:
Among the total of 80 cases and 320 controls, more than half (52.5%) of the cases and the controls (53.8%) were males and females, respectively. Breast Feeding (BF) was started immediately after birth in only 43.8% of the cases. Nearly 94% of the mothers of the cases had no breast feeding information as part of Ante Natal Care (ANC) follow up. Maternal age (AOR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.11-0.76), having radio (AOR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.22-0.82), lack of toilet facility (AOR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.16-4.33), deprivation of colostrum (AOR: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.01-1.06) and method of complementary feeding (AOR: 2.82; 95% CI: 1.33-5.99) were associated with wasting.
Conclusions:
This study has found that inappropriate infant feeding; nutritional information gap and lack of toilet facility as significant predictors of malnutrition. Hence, joint interventions, including counseling of mothers about benefits of colostrum feeding and use of appropriate feeding method, toilet utilization and mass media such as radio possession, are needed to address the problem in Dabat district.
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