Underweight and associated factors among children under five years in North Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia: An observational community-based study

Tamiru Yazew

doi:10.12688/f1000research.55680.1

Abstract

Background: Acute and chronic child undernutrition is a continuous problem in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was initiated to compare the prevalence of underweight and its associated factors among children aged 6-23 months in the Kuyu district, North Shewa zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Methods: An observational community-based study was conducted on 612 children (304 from household security and 308 from household food insecurity). A structured and standardize questionnaire was used in this study. Anthropometric measurements were generated using WHO standardize. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent variables associated with underweight (weight-for-age) among children in household food security and insecurity, a p value less than 0.05 with 95%CI was considered as statistically significant. Results: The results indicated that 30.9% [95%CI; 25.7, 36.2] and 36.7% [95% CI; 31.8, 42.5] of children were underweight for their age in household food security and insecurity. Low wealth status (AOR=3.2; 95%CI: 1.099, 9.275), poor dietary diets (AOR=5.2; 95%CI: 2.046, 13.27), and lack of breastfeeding for two years (AOR= 2.1; 95%CI= 1.78, 5, 42) were associated with underweight children in household food security. Whereas lack of antenatal care visits (AOR=0.52; 95%CI: 0.12, 0.68) and poor dietary diets (AOR=3.01; 95%CI= 2.1, 17.4) were other independent variables associated with underweight children in household food insecurity. Conclusions: This study established that there was a high prevalence of underweight in children from Oromia. Therefore, introducing household income generating activities are vital interventions in order to overcome the problem of undernutrition in this region.

Highlights

Acute and chronic child undernutrition is an important challenge affecting the mental and physical development of infants and young children.[1]
Ethiopian studies have shown that poor economic status, poor dietary intake, and lack of breastfeeding are major factors associated with underweight children.[7,8,9]
All children aged 6-23 months found in the study area, Kuyu district was the target for the study, whereas the study population consisted of a sample of all households with 6-23 months old children who were residing in randomly selected kebeles

Summary

Introduction

Acute and chronic child undernutrition is an important challenge affecting the mental and physical development of infants and young children.[1]. Acute and chronic malnutrition occurs due to several factors, which are related to household food insecurity, poor quality diets, poor feeding practices, and infections.[5,6] Ethiopian studies have shown that poor economic status, poor dietary intake, and lack of breastfeeding are major factors associated with underweight children.[7,8,9] age, sex, birth order, diarrhea, and low birth weight are major factors associated with children being underweight.[10]. Low wealth status (AOR=3.2; 95%CI: 1.099, 9.275), poor dietary diets (AOR=5.2; 95%CI: 2.046, 13.27), and lack of breastfeeding for two years (AOR= 2.1; 95%CI= 1.78, 5, 42) were associated with underweight children in household food security. Introducing household income generating activities are vital interventions in order to overcome the problem of undernutrition in this region

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Methods

Results

Conclusion