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Stunting and its determinant factors among children aged 6-59 months in Ethiopia

Amare Tariku1, Gashaw Andargie Biks2, Terefe Derso3

  • 1Department of Human Nutrition, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.

Italian Journal of Pediatrics
|December 21, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Childhood stunting remains a critical public health issue in rural Ethiopia, affecting 64.5% of children. Key factors include maternal occupation, vitamin A supplementation, household wealth, and food sourcing.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Nutrition Science

Background:

  • Childhood stunting persists as a significant public health challenge in Ethiopia despite various nutritional interventions.
  • Limited literature exists on stunting and its determinants in rural Ethiopian populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and determinants of stunting among children aged 6-59 months in northwest Ethiopia.
  • To identify key factors contributing to severe stunting in a predominantly rural setting.

Main Methods:

  • A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to June 2015.
  • 1295 mother-child pairs were analyzed using ordinal multivariable logistic regression.
  • Statistical significance was determined using a P-value of <0.05.

Main Results:

  • The overall prevalence of stunting was 64.5% (37.7% moderate, 26.8% severe).
  • Determinants of severe stunting included maternal farming occupation, lack of postnatal vitamin A supplementation, poorer household wealth, and family food sourcing from farms.
  • Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) indicated significant associations for these factors.

Conclusions:

  • Stunting is a critical public health concern in the studied district.
  • Interventions should focus on improving maternal postnatal vitamin A supplementation and educating farmer mothers and poorer households on appropriate child feeding practices.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildrenEthiopiaHealth and demographic surveillance systemStunting

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