Determinants of Wasting Among Under-Five Children in Ethiopia
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2013-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Child malnutrition in Ethiopia is one of the most serious public health problems and the
highest in the world. Wasting refers to low weight-far-height and measures the body's
mass in relation to body length. The objective of this study was to identify determinants of
wasting among under-jive children in Ethiopia. The study used data collected in the
Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey in 201012011. A total of9611 under-jive age
children were included in the present study. To analyze the data descriptive statistics,
binary logistic regression and multilevel binary logistic regression techniques were
employed. The descriptive statistics results indicate that about 11. 7 % of under-jive
children in Ethiopia were wasted. Among demographic, socia-economic and health
related factors included in the study place of residence, household economic status, age
nfchild, sex nfchild, mnther education, hndy mass index of mother, illness(diarrhea and
fever) were significant determinants of children wasting. The results of binary logistic
regression and multilevel binary logistic regression indicated that the risk of wasting was
highest among male children, small size at birth, children whose parents resided in rural
areas, children's of illiterate mothers, children whose mother's body mass index was low,
children from poor families and children who had diarrhea and fever two weeks before
the date of the survey. The multilevel model showed the existence of significant variations
in the prevalence of wasting among the regions in Ethiopia. The study recommended the
need for programs related to income generating activities for poor households, improve
mother education, caring child in appropriate age. Also, efforts should be made to
improve environmental sanitation and personal hygiene to prevent exposures to diarrhea
and fever.
Description
Keywords
Children in Ethiopia