Prevalence of Malnutrition and Associated Factors among Children Age 6-59 Months at Lalibela Town Administration, North WolloZone, Anrs, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Children are most vulnerable to malnutrition in developing countries because of low dietary intakes, lack of appropriate care, and inequitable distribution of food within the household. Malnutrition remains one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality among children throughout the world. Malnutrition In Ethiopia, in the form of stunting, underweight and wasting were identified as 44%, 29% and 10% and Amhara National region state 52%, 33.4% and 9.9%, respectively in children under five. The magnitude and various associated factors were not clearly known in the study area.Objective: To determine the prevalence of malnutrition and associated factors among Children age 6-59 Months in Lalibela Town, Northern Ethiopia. Methods:A-Community based cross-sectional study was conducted from August 19 to September 13, 2012 in Lalibela town, Northern Ethiopia which includes both urban and rural settings. Data were collected from 844 households with children age 6-59 months using pre tested structured questionnaires and measuring weight and height of children. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used using SPSS version 16 computer software to see the relevant associations. Anthropometric data were also converted into indices of nutritional status using Emergency Nutrition Assessment for SMART special software, 2012.Results: A total of 844 households were included in the study giving the response rate 100%. The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting were 47.3% (95%CI: 43.2-51.1), 25.6% (95%CI: 20.6-30.6) and 8.9% (95%CI: 6.9-10.2), respectively. Among the various socio-economic, demographic and child health and care practices characteristics considered, age of the child 11-23 months (AOR=2.30; (95%CI: 1.28-4.12), Deworming status (AOR=2.19); (95%CI: 1.41-3.39), sex of the child (AOR=0.75; (95%CI: 0.57-1.00) and breast feed the child still now (AOR=0.40; (95%CI: 0.20-0.78) remained to be significantly associated with stunting. Middle wealth quintile to the households (AOR=0.51; (95%CI: 0.28-0.91), age of the child 23-35 months (AOR=2.29; (95%CI: 1.14-4.61), number of children aged 6-59 months in the household (AOR=1.61); (95%CI: 1.08-2.41) and giving honey to the child in the morning (AOR=1.52; (95%CI: 1.03-2.24) were remained to be significantly and independently associated with underweight. Conclusion:The prevalence rate of malnutrition in the study area was found high and this was coupled with association of many independent variables. This needs appropriate factor specific interventions. five. Over two-thirds of these deaths, which are often associated with inappropriate feeding practices, occur during the first year of life [5]. Prevalence of Malnutrition and Associated Factors among ChildrenMalnutrition is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children under the age of five in developing countries [6]. Ethiopia being one of these countries malnutrition is an important public health problem; stunting, underweight and wasting were identified ...

Nutritional survey among under five children at Tamyia district in Fayoum, Egypt

“…20 In our study, the most prevalent causes of malnutrition among malnourished children were helminthes and parasitic infestation, followed by gastroenteritis and improper weaning. The current study revealed that these causes were statistically associated with wasting, stunting, and underweight, these results were agreed with studies concluded in Alexandria, Malaysia, and The Peruvian Amazon that high socioeconomic and good environmental conditions were the most important factors associated with the lower prevalence of malnutrition.…”

Determinants of Nutritional Status of Under-Five Children in Ethiopia: With Particular Reference to Anelmoworeda, Hadiya Zone, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region

“…This result was similar to EDHS [4] and other studies done in Ethiopia 41%, 35% respectively. The cause of this discrepancy in sex is no well established in the literature, but it is believed that boys are more influenced by environmental stress than girls [18]. Child health and care practice in this study 84.5% of children feed colostrums 15.5 % of children were not depilated the first milk/colostrums.…”

Determinants of appropriate complementary feeding practice among mothers having children 6–23 months of age in rural Damot sore district, Southern Ethiopia; a community based cross sectional study

“…It has been responsible, directly or indirectly, for 60% of the 10.9 million deaths annually among children under five and two-thirds of these deaths, which are often associated with inappropriate feeding practices [1,2]. Children are most vulnerable to malnutrition in developing countries because of low dietary intakes, lack of appropriate care, and inequitable distribution of food within the household [3,4]. Over one third of under-five mortality is caused by malnutrition related to inappropriate complementary feeding.…”