Stunting Is Associated with Food Diversity while Wasting with Food Insecurity among Underfive Children in East and West Gojjam Zones of Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

Achenef Motbainor,Alemayehu Worku,Abera Kumie,Jacobus Van Wouwe

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133542

Abstract

BackgroundFood insecurity has detrimental effects in protecting child undernutrition.This study sought to determine the level of child undernutrition and its association with food insecurity.MethodsA community based comparative cross-sectional study design involving multistage sampling technique was implemented from 24th of May to 20th of July 2013. Using two population proportion formula, a total of 4110 randomly selected households were included in the study. Availability of the productive safety net programme was used for grouping the study areas. A multiple linear regression model was used to assess the association between food insecurity and child malnutrition. Clustering effects of localities were controlled during analysis.ResultsStunting (37.5%), underweight (22.0%) and wasting (17.1%) were observed in East Gojjam zone, while 38.3% stunting, 22.5% underweight, and 18.6% wasting for the West Gojjam zone. Food insecurity was significantly associated with wasting (β = - 0.108, P < 0.05).Food diversity and number of meals the child ate per day significantly associated with stunting (β = 0.039, P < 0.01) and underweight (β = 0.035, P < 0.05) respectively. Residential area was the significant predictor of all indices.ConclusionThe magnitude of child undernutrition was found to be very high in the study areas. Food insecurity was the significant determinant of wasting. Food diversity and number of meals the child ate per day were the significant determinants of stunting and underweight respectively. Child nutrition intervention strategies should take into account food security, dietary diversity, and carefully specified with regard to residential locations. Addressing food insecurity is of paramount importance.

Highlights

Food insecurity is a state or a condition in which people experienced limited or uncertain physical and economic access to safe, sufficient, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs or food preferences for a productive, healthy, and active life [1,2,3]
The research findings from this study showed that, there was a high level of child malnutrition and different forms of multidisciplinary and interrelated determinants for malnutrition
All forms of malnutrition intervention program conducted in the country should focus on different aspects of child care and feeding practices

Summary

Introduction

Food insecurity is a state or a condition in which people experienced limited or uncertain physical and economic access to safe, sufficient, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs or food preferences for a productive, healthy, and active life [1,2,3]. Food insecurity and associated malnutrition result in serious health problems and loss of human potential for economic developments in developing countries [3]. Food insecurity remains highly prevalent in developing countries, and over the past two decades, it has increasingly been recognised as a serious public health problem in the developed world [4]. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently estimated that globally about 842 million people were incapable of getting their dietary energy requirements in 2012/13 report. This showed that around one in eight people in the world are likely to have suffered from chronic hunger, not having enough food for an active and healthy life. Food insecurity has detrimental effects in protecting child undernutrition.This study sought to determine the level of child undernutrition and its association with food insecurity

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion