Nutritional Status and Determinant Factors Among Under Five Children In Yeka Sub City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Date
2020-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Malnutrition is still considered one of the major public health problems in many countries,
affecting more than 30% of children under 5 years of age worldwide. The poor nutritional status
of children has also been a consistent problem in Ethiopia. The main objective of the study was
to assess nutritional status and identifying determinant factors among under five years children
in four selected woredas of Yeka sub city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2019. A community based
cross-sectional study design was conducted on 422 under five year’s children. Anthropometric
measurements of height and weight of all those children under consideration were taken to
identify the severe form of malnutrition as well as the relative factors of socio-economic and
demographic, child characteristics, maternal caring and characteristics and environmental
health conditions. In order to achieve the objectives of the study and thereby give answers for the
basic research questions, quantitative research approach had been used. Structured
questionnaire and check lists were used to collect the primary source of the data.
Anthropometric data were entered under the World Health Organization anthro software.
Finally, the data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Both bivariate and
multivariate analyses were used to identify the determinants of child malnutrition. In this study,
the prevalence of stunting (<‐ 2SD) was 26%; whereas, 10.4% of the children were severely
stunted (<‐ 3SD). The result of the study also reveals that stunting was more prevalent among
12–23 months children (31.9%), male children (34.7) than female (18.3%) and children whose
mother is illiterate than educated mother. 8.4% of the children were underweight (<‐ 2SD);
whereas, 1.4% of the children were severely underweight. Prevalence of underweight was higher
among male (11.7%) than female (5.4%) children. According to the study, socio-economic, child
characteristics, environmental health, and maternal characteristics are forefront factors for
malnutrition in under five children. The two forms of malnutrition (Stunting and underweight)
among under five children in the study area was very high. Sex of child, age of child, mother’s
education, were significant predicators of child stunting and also sex of child and paternal
occupation were determinant factors of underweight. Further in-depth studies should also be
encouraged to look for improved interventions.
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Keywords
Nutritional status, stunting, wasting, underweight, anthropometric measurement, bivariate, Yeka sub-city.