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Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
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Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

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Effect of maternal employment on child nutritional status in Bale Robe Town, Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional

Bezawit Ketema1, Tafese Bosha1, Fentaw Wassie Feleke1,2

  • 1College of Agriculture, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 05, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Journal of Nutritional Science
|May 16, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Maternal employment negatively impacts child nutrition. Children of employed mothers show higher rates of stunting, underweight, and wasting compared to those with unemployed mothers in Ethiopia.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Socioeconomic Factors in Child Development

Background:

  • Adequate nutrition is critical for early childhood development, influencing growth, organ function, immunity, and cognitive abilities.
  • Maternal employment is a significant socioeconomic factor that may influence a child's nutritional status.
  • Understanding this relationship is crucial for developing targeted interventions to combat child undernutrition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effect of maternal employment on the nutritional status of children aged 6-23 months.
  • To compare nutritional indicators such as stunting, underweight, and wasting between children of employed and unemployed mothers.
  • To identify factors associated with nutritional status in young children in Bale Robe, Ethiopia.

Main Methods:

  • A community-based, comparative cross-sectional study involving 597 children aged 6-23 months (293 from unemployed mothers, 304 from employed mothers).
  • Data collection via face-to-face interviews using a structured, pretested questionnaire.
  • Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, binary, and multivariable logistic regression.

Main Results:

  • Children born to employed mothers exhibited higher prevalence rates of stunting (39.9%), underweight (39.9%), and wasting (22.2%) compared to children of unemployed mothers (stunted 31.3%, underweight 24.0%, wasted 11.8%).
  • Female gender was found to be a significant protective factor against stunting in children of both employed [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 0.31] and unemployed mothers [AOR 0.29].
  • The study indicates a poorer nutritional status among children of employed mothers.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal employment is associated with a higher risk of undernutrition (stunting, underweight, wasting) in children aged 6-23 months.
  • Interventions aimed at improving child nutrition should consider the employment status of mothers.
  • Targeted efforts are needed to mitigate the negative effects of maternal employment on child nutritional status in the study area.

Keywords:
Bale RobeEBF, Exclusive BreastfeedingEthiopiaHAZ, Height-for-Age Z-scoreInfant and young childMAD, Minimum Acceptable DietMDD, Minimum Diet DiversityMMF, Minimum Meal FrequencyMUAC, Mid-upper arm circumferenceMUACAZ, Mid-upper arm circumference-for-age Z-scorePCA, Principal Component AnalysisPI, Principal InvestigatorSPSS, Statistical Product and Service SolutionsStuntingUNICEF, United Nations Children's FundUnderweightWAZ, Weight-for-Age Z-scoreWHO, World Health OrganizationWHZ, Weight-for-Height Z-ScoreWastingsd, Standard Deviation

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