Association Between Women’s Empowerment Stunning among Children Aged 6to59 Months: from 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey.
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2019-11
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Abstract
Background : Stunting is predominantly irreversible nutritional deficiency disorder of children. Evidences on the impact of women empowerment to reduce child stunting are limited in Ethiopia.
Objective: To determine the association between women empowerment on stunting among childrenaged6to59 months from the2016 Ethiopian
Demographic and Health Survey datasets.
Methods: The study used the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey 2016 dataset, which is a cross sectional study. The study participants were current married women of there productive age(15– 49years) group living with their husbands or partners whohavechildrenaged6-59monthsinthehousehold who were alive at the time of the survey. Data selected and exported to SPSS version 22foranalysis. Complex sample binary logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the association between children stunting aged 6-59 months and the predictor variables. In addition, multivariable logistic regression model was performed using variables that are significant at Pvalue ≤.05with95%ofconfidencelevel.
Result: The prevalence of stunting among children aged 6- 59 month with 95% confidence interval was 41%(3,318) (95%CI: 39% - 43.3%). Around 45 %( 3806) of mothers employed in the last 12 months before the survey. Among mothers who had a job, 2072(54%) had seasonal jobs and the rest 1734(45%) had jobs throughout the year. About 50.5 %( 1921)of the mothers have been not paid for the job they were engaged with. Approximately 5855(69%) of mothers have had a positive attitude towards the husband justifying hitting or beating his wife. Maternal attitude towards wife beating (AOR [95% CI]) = 1.057[0.889, 1.256]), decision on large household purchase (AOR [95% CI] = 1.001[0.807, 1.243])had no association with child stunting .In contrast, Household wealth index (AOR [95% CI]) = 1.98 [1.44, 2.726]), Maternal height (AOR [95%CI] = 1.9[1.280, 2.82]), child sex (AOR [95% CI] = 1.255[1.077, 1.463]) were significantly associate with child stunting.
Conclusion and Recommendation: The study indicated very high child stunting among children age 6-59 month. It also identified low women’s economic and socio-familial empowerment. Thus, it is recommended that Ministry of Health up to local health service authority should strengthen their effort on the implementation programs which aim to improve childhood undernutrition. Advocacy programs should be introduced to strengthen the practice on implementation policies and proclamation that enshrines women’ right so as to support women empowerment and thereby improve young childhood nutrition in Ethiopia.
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Women’s Empowerment