The Prevalence of Stunting and Associated Factors among Children Under Five years of age in Southern Ethiopia: Community Based Cross-Sectional Study

Asres Mengesha; Samrawit Hailu; Mahlet Birhane; Moges Mareg Belay

doi:10.5334/aogh.3432

Figures & Tables

Table 1

Socio-demographic and economic characteristics of the respondents in Wonago district, Gedeo Zone, southern Ethiopia, 2018 (n = 615).

VARIABLES	FREQUENCY	PERCENT (%)
Caretaker’s relation with the child
Mother	412	67
Father	119	19.3
Other relatives	84	13.7
Ethnicity of caretaker
Gedeo	434	70.6
Oromo	87	14.1
Amhara	55	8.9
Others	39	6.3
The religion of the caretaker
Protestant	512	83.3
Orthodox	83	13.5
Muslim	16	2.6
Others*	4	0.7
Head of the household
Father	570	92.7
Mother	35	5.7
Others£	10	1.6
Educational status of the caretaker
No formal education	161	26.2
Primary education	245	39.8
Secondary	117	19
Higher-level	92	15
Occupation of the caretaker
Housewives	336	54.6
Government/private
employee	32	5.2
Merchant	146	23.7
Daily laborer	44	7.2
Farmer	30	4.9
Others^¥	27	4.4
Age of the caretaker
<20	3	0.5
20–34	421	68.5
35–49	172	28
>49	19	3.1
Marital status of the caretaker
Single	13	2.1
Married	565	91.9
Divorced	8	1.3
Widowed	29	4.7
Family size
< 5	233	37.9
≥ 5	382	62.1
Number of under-five children in the household
One	346	56.3
≥2	269	43.7
Wealth status of the family
Poor	222	36.1
Medium	227	36.9
Rich	166	27

[i] * Catholic, traditional followers…

^£ Grandparents, other relatives

^¥ Barbers, carpenter.

Table 2

Child factors among children under five years of are in Wonago district, Gedeo Zone, southern Ethiopia, 2018 (n = 615).

VARIABLES	FREQUENCY	PERCENT (%)
Age of the child
<6 months	72	11.7
6–11 months	74	12
12–24 months	151	24.6
>24 months	318	51.7
Sex of the child
Male	288	46.8
Female	327	53.2
Birth order of the child
First	269	43.7
Second	135	22
Third	109	17.7
Fourth or more	102	16.6
The birth interval between the index and preceding child (n = 346)
1 year	113	32.6
2 years	67	19.4
≥3 years	113	32.6
I don’t know	53	15.4
Receive vaccination in line with his/her age (n = 162)
No	55	33.9
Yes	69	42.6
I don’t know	38	23.5
Fully vaccinated (n = 525)
No	134	25.5
Yes	219	41.7
I don’t know	172	32.8
Deworming (n = 318)
No	139	43.7
Yes	122	38.4
I don’t know	57	17.9
Child experience comorbidities
No	501	81.5
Yes	114	18.5

Table 3

Feeding and dietary characteristics of children under five years of age in Wonago district, Gedeo Zone, southern Ethiopia, 2018 (n = 615).

VARIABLES	FREQUENCY	PERCENT (%)
What was done to the colostrum (n = 412)
Given to the child	316	76.7
Withdrawn	96	23.3
Duration of breast feeding (n = 346)
< 24 months	177	51.2
≥ 24 months	169	48.8
When the complementary feeding was initiated?
Not given b/se child is <6 months age	46	7.5
Right at 6 months	217	35.3
After 6 months	69	11.2
I don’t know	130	21.1
Frequency of child feeding per day (n = 543)
≤3 times	129	23.8
>3 times	304	56
I don’t know	110	20.2
Access to a diversified diet
Poor	273	44.4
Good	342	55.6
Household food security status
Food insecure	245	39.8
Food secured	370	60.2

Table 4

Personal hygiene and environmental sanitation characteristics among children under five years of age in Wonago district, Gedeo Zone, southern Ethiopia, 2018 (n = 615).

VARIABLES	FREQUENCY	PERCENT (%)
The main source of drinking water
Public tap	277	45
Spring	222	36.1
Pond	51	8.3
Well	24	3.9
Private pipe	22	3.6
River	19	3.1
Distance to drinking water
Less than 30 minutes	356	57.9
Greater or equal to 30 minutes	186	30.2
Water on-premise	73	11.9
Treat water before drinking
No	479	77.9
Yes	136	22.1
What type of equipment do you use to store water?
Jerrycan	366	59.5
Bucket	163	26.5
Pot	64	10.4
Others^@	22	3.6
Wash hand before feeding child
Yes	461	75
No	154	25
Have latrine
Yes	580	94.3
No	35	5.4
Type of latrine (n = 580)
Pit latrine	544	93.8
Ventilated improved latrine	28	4.8
Flush toilet	8	1.4
Wash hand after latrine
No	564	91.7
Yes	51	8.3
Share latrine with another household
No	580	94.3
Yes	35	5.7
Disposal mechanism of domestic wastes
At open field	279	45.4
At pit	117	19
By municipality	73	11.9
By composting	69	11.2
By burning	77	12.5

Table 5

Factors associated with stunting among children under five years of age in Wonago district, December, 2018 (n = 615).

VARIABLES	CATEGORY	STUNTING		OR (95% CI)
VARIABLES	CATEGORY	YES FREQUENCY (%)	NO FREQUENCY (%)	CRUDE	ADJUSTED
Age of the child	<6 months	3 (4.2%)	69 (95.8%)	0.05 (0.016, 0.76)***	0.03 (.05,0 .24)**
	6–11 months	18 (24.3%)	56 (75.7%)	0.38 (0.21, 0.67)**	0.17 (0.07, 0.40)***
	12–24 months	65 (43.0%)	86 (57.0%)	0.89 (0.60, 1.32)	0.76 (0.47, 1.22)
	>24 months	146 (45.9%)	172 (54.1%)	1	1
Family size	<5 members	82 (35.2%)	151 (64.8%)	0.65 (0.45, 0.94)*	0.59 (0.37, 0.97)*
Family size	≥5 members	150 (39.3%)	232 (60.7%)	1	1
Number of under-five children in the household	1	135 (39%)	211 (61%)	1	1
Number of under-five children in the household	≥ 2	172 (63.9%)	97 (36.1%)	1.53 (1.36, 1.87)**	1.72 (1.07, 2.77)*
Wealth status	Poor	99 (44.6%)	123 (55.4%)	1	1
	Medium	81 (35.7%)	146 (64.3%)	0.80 (0.62, 1.05)	0.89 (0.50, 1.58)
	Rich	52 (31.3%)	114 (68.7%)	0.56 (0.42, 0.73)***	0.46 (0.26,0 .79)**
Source of drinking water	River water	11 (57.9%)	8 (42.1%)	6.18 (1.5, 25.5)*	5.11 (1.6, 16.4)**
	Pond	28 (54.9%)	23 (45.1%)	5.5 (1.63, 18.5)**	6.24 (2.45, 16)***
	Spring	85 (38.3%)	137 (61.7%)	2.27 (1.75, 6.91)*	2.08 (1.15, 3.75)*
	Private pipe	8 (18.2%)	14 (81.8%)	3.8 (0.99, 14.6)	0.47 (0.124, 1.77)
	Well	11 (45.8%)	13 (54.2%)	2.79 (0.91, 8.53)	2.18 (0.72, 6.6)
	Public tap	93 (33.6%)	184 (66.4%)	1	1
Access to a diversified diet	Poor	142 (52.0%)	131 (48.0%)	3.0 (2.16, 4.3)***	1.82 (1.17, 2.83)**
Access to a diversified diet	Good	90 (26.3%)	252 (73.7%)	1	1
Household food security	Food unsecured	111 (45.3%)	134 (54.7%)	1.7 (1.22, 2.37)**	1.83 (1.13, 2.96)*
Household food security	Food secured	121 (32.7%)	249 (67.3%)	1	1

[i] * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, and *** P < 0.001 ^@ Others: rotto, tankers.