The Role of Maternal Characteristics on Nutritional Status of Ethiopian Children
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Date
2006-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Many Ethiopian children suffer from the burden of malnutrition. Studies show that half of
the children are either stunted or underweight. The prevalence rate of child malnutrition
in Ethiopia is higher than the average prevalence rate for Sub Saharan Africa countries
for which the Demographic and Health Survey was conducted. The implication is that
timely interventions are critical which require a good knowledge of the major causes of
child malnutrition. This paper examines the role of maternal characteristics (education,
relative household status, and employment) on nutritional status of Ethiopian children as
measured by stunting and underweight. Separate estimations were performed for rural
and urban areas. The result showed that mothers’ education level and their relative
household status are important determinants of the nutritional status of children. In
addition, household economic status and age of a child showed a strong association with
nutritional status.
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Role of Maternal Characteristics