Child Undernutrition and Infant and Young Child Feeding Indicators: A Secondary Analysis of Edhs 2011
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Date
2016-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: - Optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices play an important
role in reducing early childhood morbidity and mortality, as well as in improving early child
growth and development. There are different predictors of child nutritional outcomes like
economic and contextual factors. But infant nutritional status (stunting, wasting and
underweight) can be associated with an immediate cause such as infant feeding practice.
Objectives: To determine the association between WHO core IYCF indicator and different
forms of child under nutrition in Ethiopia.
Methods: Data from the 2011 Ethiopia Demographic Health Surveys (EDHS), which is
nationally representative data, were used. The study subjects were Last born infants and their
mothers.Analyses were conducted using multiple linear regression and logisticregression
analyses adjusted for the complex survey design of the survey, controllingfor child, maternal and
household characteristics.Regression models used the ‘svy’ command in STATA to ensure that
standard errors &adjusted for the complex survey design.
Result: A total of 3826 children are included in the analysis. After adjusting for possible
confounders minimum acceptable diet (AOR 0.39, 95%CI 0.18-0.84) & minimum diet diversity
with (AOR 0.48 95% 0.24-0.96) was found to be significantly associated with stunting. Similarly
minimum acceptable diet (AOR 0.36, 95%CI 0.13-0.98) & minimum diet diversity (0.33 95%CI
(0.12-0.87) was found to be significantly associated with underweight. Among the IYCF
indicators only minimum meal frequency (AOR 0.70, 95% 0.51-0.96) was found to be
significantly associated with wasting.But exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) had no association with
underweight.
Conclusion & Recommendation: Achieving Minimum acceptable diet and minimum diet
diversity are protective against stunting and underweight. And minimum meal frequency was
still protective against wasting. Programmatic interventions that support a focus on
complementary feeding and EBF should be implemented.
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Keywords
Child Undernutrition, Young Child Feeding