Undernutrition among Institutionalized School-age Orphans in Harari Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Although orphans are at increased risk of undernutrition, studies assessing prevalence of undernutrition are limited to orphans residing with their relatives or on street. This study was conducted to assess magnitude of undernutrition and its associated factors among institutionalized school-age orphans in Harari Regional State, eastern Ethiopia. Methods: An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among all school-age (6-12 years) orphans living in all orphan centers in Harari Regional State, eastern Ethiopia. Data were collected by using a structured pretested questionnaire supplemented with anthropometric measurements. Data were entered using EpiData 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS 22. Logistic regression models were fitted to identify factors associated with undernutrition. Statistical significance was declared at P-value <.05. Results: A total of 265 orphans residing in all orphan centers in the region were included. The prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight were 15.8% (95% CI: 11.9, 20.7), 10.9% (95% CI: 7.7, 15.3), and 8.7% (95% CI: 4.3, 10.5), respectively. Staying in orphan center for 6 to 10 years (AOR = 6.2; 95% CI: 2.6, 15.10), having recent illness (AOR = 3.9; 95% CI: 1.4, 10.4), and being aged 10 to 12 years (AOR = 11.2; 95% CI: 3.5, 35.4) were significantly associated with stunting whereas having recent illness (AOR = 4.3; 95% CI: 1.4, 7.3) and being aged 6 to 7 years (AOR: 10.4; 95% CI: 3.2, 33.6) were significantly associated with wasting. Underweight was more likely (AOR: 8.9; 95% CI: 2.7, 29.5) among children with recent illness. Conclusions: Almost 1 in 6, 1 in 9, and 1 in 11 institutionalized school-age orphans in Harari Regional State were stunted, wasted, and underweight respectively. Younger children and those with recent illness were more likely to be undernourished. Underlying reasons for undernutrition among orphans being cared in orphan centers should be further explored.

Nutritional Status and Associated Factors among Primary Schoolchildren from Pastoral Communities, Mieso-Mulu District, Sitti Zone, Somali Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia: Institution-Based Cross-Sectional Study

“…This finding is in agreement with studies reported on the national figures of stunting in Ethiopia (23%) [ 7 ], Dale woreda (25.6%) [ 13 ], Southern Ethiopia (28%) [ 14 ], Uganda's Wakiso District (22.5%) [ 59 ], and Jimma Zone (24.1%) [ 60 ]. Unlike the present study, a lower magnitude of stunting was reported from Ethiopia, such as Southern Ethiopia (28%), Harari (15.8%), Bahir Dar city (15.13%), Babile town (11.2%), Bahir Dar district (18.3%), and Addis Ababa (19.6%) [ 14 , 18 , 55 , 57 , 61 , 62 ], respectively. In contrast, the results are lower than the findings from Gondar town (46.1%) [ 17 ], Arba Minch city (41.9%) [ 24 ], Humbo district (57%) [ 48 ], and Mecha district (37.9%) [ 63 ].…”

“…In this study, the magnitudes of thinness and stunting among schoolchildren were 13.1% (95% CI: 10.6%, 15.7%) and 24.6% (95% CI: 21.3%, 27.9%), respectively (see Figure 3). e magnitude of thinness is comparable with study results reported from Dale woreda (14%) [13], Harari (8.7%) [18], Somali refugee camps (15.2%) [22], Nigeria's Akwa Ibom State (10.9%) [53], Tanzania (11.3%) [54], and Babile town (15.7%) [55]. On the other hand, the magnitude of thinness in this study was lower than study results in the Philippines (27.8%) [56].…”

“…Accordingly, 14–17-year-old children were 48% less [AOR = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.95] likely to be stunted than 6–9-year-old children. Numerous other studies revealed that the likelihood of stunting was higher as the child got older [ 13 , 18 , 20 , 27 , 29 , 31 , 32 , 45 , 53 , 54 , 59 , 61 ]. However, in this study, children aged 14–17 years were less likely to be stunted than children aged 6–9 years.…”

“…In Ethiopia, the recent 2019 Mini Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey indicated that 37% of children were stunted, 7% wasted, and 21% underweight, respectively [11]. Besides, different findings reported undernutrition among schoolchildren [12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. According to the report of the 2018 Ethiopia nutrition profile, about 27% of children in the Somali region were stunted, 29% underweight, and 23% wasted, respectively [19].…”

Rural and Urban Correlates of Stunting Among Under-Five Children in Sierra Leone: A 2019 Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey

“…Undernutrition is a crucial health indicator for monitoring growth status and survival of children under 5 years in low and middle-income countries. 1 - 3 Globally, undernutrition accounts for at least half of all the under-five mortality burden annually. 4 Stunting is one of the manifestation of undernutrition and a preferred anthropometric measure for the assessment of chronic nutritional status.…”