Abstract
BackgroundNutritional status of children influences their health status, which is a key determinant of human development. In Ethiopia, 28% of child mortality is caused by under nutrition. There is also some controversial evidence about the association between maternal characteristics and nutritional status of under five children. This study was aimed to assess the association between maternal characteristics and nutritional status among 6–59 months of children in Ethiopia.MethodsThis was furtheranalysis ofthe 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveyusing7452 children.. Generalized estimating equations was used to quantify the association of maternal factors with stunting and wasting. Both crude Odds ratio and adjusted odds ratio with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals were reported to show the strength of association. In multivariable analysis, variables with a p-value of < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.ResultsThe higher odds of stunting were found among children whose mothers had no education (AOR = 1.58; 95%CI: 1.25, 2.0) and primary education (AOR = 1.42; 95%CI: 1.13, 1.78), underweight nutritional status (AOR = 1.59; 95%CI: 1.27, 2.0), and anemia (AOR = 1.16; 95%CI: 1.04, 1.30). Similarly, higher odds of wasting were observed among children whose mother had underweight nutritional status (AOR = 2.34; 95%CI: 1.65, 3.38), delivered at home (AOR = 1.31; 95%CI: 1.07, 1.60), and lower than 24 months birth interval (AOR = 1.31; 95%CI: 1.04, 1.64).ConclusionMaternal education, nutritional status, and anemia were associated with child stunting. Also maternal nutritional status, place of delivery, and preceding birth interval were associated with wasting. Therefore, there is needed to enhance the nutritional status of children by improving maternal underweight nutritional status, maternal educational and maternal anemia status, prolonging birth interval, and promoting health facility delivery.
Highlights
Nutritional status of children influences their health status, which is a key determinant of human development
Socio-demographic and economic characteristics A total of 7452 children aged 6–59 months were included in the analysis
6161 (82.7%), of children were lived in rural areas
Summary
Nutritional status of children influences their health status, which is a key determinant of human development. There is some controversial evidence about the association between maternal characteristics and nutritional status of under five children. This study was aimed to assess the association between maternal characteristics and nutritional status among 6–59 months of children in Ethiopia. A group of disorders that includes stunting, wasting and underweight. It is the result of inadequate intake of food, infection, inadequate access to food, inadequate care and. Dessie et al BMC Pediatrics (2019) 19:83 development, and reduced intellectual capacity [5, 6] It has been associated with overweight, obesity, insulin resistance, and chronic non-communicable disease during adulthood [7]. The three forms of malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa was 40, 21 and 9% stunting, underweight and wasting, respectively [9, 10]
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