Abstract
BackgroundAdolescent pregnancy is a major public health problem with significant medical, nutritional, social and economic risk for mothers and their infants. The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence and predictors of malnutrition among pregnant adolescents in Kore district, southern Ethiopia.MethodsData were obtained from randomly selected consenting four hundred twenty five pregnant adolescents on March 2018 using interviewer-administered questionnaire and mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of malnutrition in adolescent pregnancy.ResultsThe study showed that 26.4% of study participants were malnourished (MUAC < 22 cm). Not owning livestock (AOR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.26–2.19), unintended pregnancy (AOR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.08–1.65), excess physical work in pregnancy (AOR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.02–1.62) and being in the second (AOR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.09–2.65) or third (AOR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.29–3.07) pregnancy trimester were positively associated with malnutrition risk. Improved dietary intake in pregnancy (AOR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.33–0.63) and support perceived by adolescents in pregnancy (AOR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.43–0.82) were negatively associated with malnutrition risk.ConclusionMore than one-quarter of the study population were malnourished. The information provides insight into the public health strategies to reduce malnutrition risk of the pregnant adolescents. Interventions aimed at improving socioeconomic status, dietary practice and physical work/activity through effective supports in pregnancy are recommended.
Highlights
Adolescent pregnancy is a major public health problem with significant medical, nutritional, social and economic risk for mothers and their infants
In this study not owning livestock, unintended pregnancy, excess physical work in pregnancy and second or third pregnancy trimester were positively associated with malnutrition risk
0.44 0.004 0.004 0.02 and support perceived by adolescents in pregnancy were negatively associated with malnutrition risk
Summary
Adolescent pregnancy is a major public health problem with significant medical, nutritional, social and economic risk for mothers and their infants. The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence and predictors of malnutrition among pregnant adolescents in Kore district, southern Ethiopia. Maternal malnutrition is generally common among women in LMICs and high among those in south Asia and Africa regions affecting a Importantly, in many LMICs of the world, child-bearing early in adolescence due to early marriage is common with significant medical, nutritional, social and economic risk [4,5,6]. In Ethiopia, 13% of women aged 15–19 years have begun childbearing as of Ethiopian DHS 2016. It has been argued that the real risks of early childbearing are concentrated in the poverty and the environmental and social circumstances, rather than the biologic vulnerability, of young mothers [7,8,9]
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