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Risk factors of morbidity among children under age five in Ethiopia
Kasahun Takele1, Temesgen Zewotir2, Denis Ndanguza3
1African Center of Excellence in Data Science, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda. kastake10@gmail.com.
Insights
Childhood diarrhea and fever remain leading causes of death in Ethiopia. Male sex, anemia, lower paternal education, and not breastfeeding increase child morbidity risks, necessitating targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Childhood morbidities, particularly diarrhea and fever, are significant contributors to mortality in developing nations, including Ethiopia.
- Despite progress, under-five mortality remains high, with diarrhea and fever as primary drivers, underscoring the urgent need for effective interventions.
- Ethiopia faces an alarming burden of child mortality, necessitating focused efforts to combat prevalent childhood illnesses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the specific risk factors associated with childhood morbidity, focusing on diarrhea and fever in Ethiopia.
- To identify demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors contributing to childhood illness.
- To provide evidence for the development of targeted public health strategies to reduce child mortality.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey.
- Employed alternating logistic regression, an extension of generalized estimating equation models, for statistical analysis.
- Examined a comprehensive set of potential risk factors for childhood diarrhea and fever.
Main Results:
- Significant risk factors identified include child's sex, age, anemia status, paternal education level, maternal employment and marital status, breastfeeding status, and geographic region.
- Specific risk factors associated with increased morbidity include male gender, young children (0-23 months), anemia, lower paternal education, maternal employment, and non-breastfed status.
- Regional variations in morbidity were observed, with higher odds noted in Amhara, Afar, Dire Dawa, Benishangul, Gambela, Oromia, SNNPR, Somali, and Tigray.
Conclusions:
- Male children, those aged 0-23 months, and anemic children face higher morbidity risks.
- Socioeconomic factors such as lower paternal education, maternal employment, and non-breastfeeding are significantly linked to increased childhood illness.
- Targeted interventions addressing these identified risk factors are crucial for improving child health outcomes in Ethiopia.
Background:
Childhood morbidities are a major cause of mortality of children in the developing countries particularly in Ethiopia. Regardless of the noticeable improvement in the reduction of under-five death in Ethiopia, childhood diarrhea and fever are still the leading cause of death. In Ethiopia, the burden of child mortality is alarming and calls for determined efforts in combating such health problems. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the risk factors for childhood morbidity specifically for diarrhea and fever.
Methods:
To gain insight into children's health issues, the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data were used. Among the marginal models, alternating logistic regression that is an extension of the generalized estimating equation model was used to investigate the risk factors of childhood morbidity explicitly for diarrhea and fever.
Results:
The results show that the child's sex, child's age, anemia level, husband education level, mother's work status, mother's marital status, breastfeeding status and region are all chosen significant risk factors related with childhood diarrhea disease and fever disease.
Conclusion:
The study indicated that male children, 0-11 months aged children, 12-23 months aged children, anemic children, husband with a lower education, mothers paid employment, non-breastfed children, regions of Amhara, Afar, Dire Dawa, Benishangul, Gambela, Oromia, SNNPR, Somali and Tigray were significantly associated with higher odds of morbidity in Ethiopia. Therefore, there is a need for children morbidity interventions intended to improve child health outcomes in the country.
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