Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 May 21:69:1606837.
doi: 10.3389/ijph.2024.1606837. eCollection 2024.

Underweight and Predictors Among Children Aged 6-59 Months in South Ethiopia

Temesgen Mohammed Toma  1   2 , Kassahun Tamene Andargie  1 , Rahel Abera Alula  1 , Bahiru Mulatu Kebede  3 , Kidus Temesgen  4 , Tamirat Gezahegn Guyo  1
Affiliations

Underweight and Predictors Among Children Aged 6-59 Months in South Ethiopia

Temesgen Mohammed Toma et al. Int J Public Health. .

Abstract

Objectives: Underweight remains the primary public health concern among under-five-year-old children in Ethiopia, despite numerous government-implemented nutrition-specific and sensitive interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess underweight and associated factors among children in South Ethiopia.

Methods: Between March and April 2021, 717 children in the South Ari district who were between the ages of 6 and 59 months participated in a cross-sectional study. To choose a sample of households containing a minimum of one child between the ages of 6 and 59 months, a multi-stage sampling procedure was used. Data were collected by interviewer-administered structured questionnaires from the mothers of the children. To determine the factors associated with being underweight, a binary logistic regression analysis was built. All variables with a p-value <0.25 in the bivariable analysis were entered into a multivariable logistic regression analysis. To assess the strength of the association, an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval was used. With a p-value below 0.05, statistical significance was declared.

Results: The prevalence of underweight was determined to be 29.7% (95% CI: 26.5%, 33.2%). Child age 6-23 months [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.28; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.18, 0.44], food insecurity (AOR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.10), sub-optimal child dietary diversity (AOR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.03), birth interval <24 months (AOR = 2.49; 95% CI: 1.75, 3.54), and common childhood illness (AOR = 2.21; 95% CI: 1.52, 3.21) were associated with being underweight.

Conclusion: Underweight among children is predicted by household food insecurity, suboptimal dietary diversity, and common childhood illnesses, necessitating further efforts to improve food security and manage common illnesses.

Keywords: South Ethiopia; children; predictors; south Ari district; underweight.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Schematic representation of the sampling procedure to assess underweight and associated factors among children aged 6–59 months in South Ari District, South Ethiopia, 2021: A community-based cross-sectional study.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Underweight status of children aged 6–59 months in South Ari district, South Ethiopia, 2021: A community-based cross-sectional study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. WHO. Malnutrition Fact-Sheet (2021). Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malnutrition (Accessed on July 9, 2023).
    1. PFAN Wadhwani. Mother, Infant and Young Child Nutrition and Malnutrition (2019). Available from: https://motherchildnutrition.org/malnutrition/about-malnutrition/impact-... (Accessed July 12, 2023).
    1. Achadi E, Ahuja A, Bendech MA, Bhutta ZA, De-Regil LM, Fanzo J, et al. Global Nutrition Report 2016: From Promise to Impact: Ending Malnutrition by 2030. Washington, D.C., USA: International Food Policy Research Institute; (2016).
    1. UNICEF World Bank Levels and Trends in Child Malnutrition: Key Findings of the 2020 Edition of the Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates. Geneva: WHO; (2020).
    1. Akombi BJ, Agho KE, Merom D, Renzaho AM, Hall JJ. Child Malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Meta-Analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys (2006-2016). PloS one (2017) 12(5):e0177338. 10.1371/journal.pone.0177338 - DOI - PMC - PubMed