Multilevel Analysis of Factors Associated with Stunting Among Under five Children in Ethiopia

Hulle Hassen

doi:10.7176/alst/79-02

Abstract

Introduction: Stunting is a major health problem in children under-five years in many low and middle income countries around the world. This study was aimed to identify factors associated with stunting among under five age children in Ethiopia. Methods: Cross-sectional data from Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey was used for the analysis. The statistical models that suit the hierarchical data such as variance components model, random intercept model, and random coefficients model were used to analyze the data. Results: This study revealed that among the under-five children considered in the study around 37.1% children was stunted. Age of children, region, place of residence, wealth index, mothers BMI, incidence of diarrhea in the last two weeks before survey and mother and husband/partner educational level were found to be significant predictors for stunting. Conclusions: Multilevel logistic regression shows that there is heterogeneity or cross-regional variation in stunting. Further this model implies that there exist considerable differences in stunting among regions and a model with a random coefficient is more appropriate to explain the regional variation than a model with fixed coefficients or empty model with random effects. Keywords: Multilevel model, under five children; Stunting DOI : 10.7176/FSQM/89-01 Publication date : August 31st 2019

Highlights

Malnutrition indicators are caused by an extremely low energy and protein intake, nutrients losses due to infection or combination of both low energy/ protein intake and high nutrient loss by the mother during pregnancy or by the child after birth (WHO, 2000).Worldwide, over 10 million children under the age of 5 years die every year from preventable and treatable illnesses despite effective health interventions (Mussie A. et al, 2014)
Data and Methodology The source of data for this study was the 2011 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) which is obtained from Central Statistical Agency (CSA)
The results of the study indicate that age of child is one of determinant associated with stunting status of children in Ethiopia

Summary

Introduction

Malnutrition indicators are caused by an extremely low energy and protein intake, nutrients losses due to infection or combination of both low energy/ protein intake and high nutrient loss by the mother during pregnancy or by the child after birth (WHO, 2000).Worldwide, over 10 million children under the age of 5 years die every year from preventable and treatable illnesses despite effective health interventions (Mussie A. et al, 2014). Malnutrition is a major health problem (Caulfield et al, 2004). Childhood stunting is one of the most significant impediments to human development, globally affecting approximately 162 million children under the age of five years. Being too short for one’s age, is defined as a height that is more than two standard deviations below the WHO child growth standards median (WHO, 2006). Stunting is a major health problem in children under five years in many low and middle income countries around the world (UNICEF, 2015). It is defined as a deficit in height relative to a child’s age

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