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Stunting and Underweight, but not Wasting are Associated with Delay in Child Development in Southwest Ethiopia

Abdu Oumer1, Zinash Fikre1, Tadele Girum1

  • 1Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wolkite University, Wolkite, Ethiopia.

Pediatric Health, Medicine and Therapeutics
|January 20, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Malnutrition significantly increases the risk of developmental delays in young children in Ethiopia. Stunting and underweight were key predictors, highlighting the need for improved nutrition and feeding practices to support child development.

Area of Science:

  • Child development
  • Public health
  • Nutrition science

Background:

  • Childhood stimulating care is crucial for lifelong health and well-being.
  • Malnutrition affects nearly half of children under five in Ethiopia.
  • The link between malnutrition and developmental delays in Ethiopia requires further understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between various forms of malnutrition and delayed child development in Southwest Ethiopia.
  • To identify specific nutritional factors contributing to developmental delays in young children.

Main Methods:

  • A community-based survey involving 507 mother-child pairs in Southwest Ethiopia.
  • Utilized pretested tools and validated anthropometric measurements to assess nutritional status (wasting, stunting, underweight).
  • Employed bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models to identify predictors of developmental delay.

Main Results:

  • Nearly 30% of children (149 out of 507) exhibited developmental delays.
  • Stunting (AOR=3.0), underweight (AOR=2.3), and low dietary diversity (AOR=3.1) were significant predictors of developmental delay.
  • Other predictors included children of working mothers, preterm births, and early complementary feeding.

Conclusions:

  • Developmental delay is a significant public health issue in the study area.
  • Stunting, underweight, poor dietary diversity, and suboptimal feeding practices are strongly linked to child development delays.
  • Interventions targeting nutrition and feeding practices are essential to mitigate developmental delays.
Abstract

Keywords:
associated factorschildrendevelopmental delaynutritional statusstunting

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