Background Nutritional status is an important health outcome influenced by both intake and utilization of nutrients. Factors associated with child nutritional status in low-and middle-income countries are many and interlinked yet not fully understood. Child malnutrition is a major problem in Ethiopia whose influence by socio-economic determinants is less studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between socio-economic determinants and undernutrition among children under the age of five years in Wolayita zone, Southern Ethiopia. Methods A population based cross-sectional survey was conducted from August 2011 to January 2012 that included a total of 4,197 children. Purposive sampling was used to select study participants and data were collected using a validated questionnaire and standard anthropometric measurements. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model the association between socio-economic determinants and child undernutrition (stunting and wasting). Results  Children from the richest households had significantly lower odds (ORadj= 0.64; 95% CI: 0.55, 0.75) of stunting compared with children from the poorest households. Food secure households had children with significantly lower odds (ORadj 0.83; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.96) of stunting compared food insecure ones. Children of women who always had money were significantly associated with 24% (CI: 0.60, 0.96) decrease in the odds of stunting compared with children of women who never had money. Time availability was not associated with stunting nor wasting. Conclusion Household asset score, food security and women economic status were significantly associated with stunting among children aged 0-59 months. Mitigation measures should be community-based and more studies on maternal time availability and its association with undernutrition are recommended.

Farmers generally produce multiple crops while selectively adopting modern technologies to meet various needs. The main aim of this study is, therefore, to identify the range of socio-economic factors influencing the adoption of modern agricultural technology in multiple food crops and the corresponding impacts on productivity and food availability at the farm-level in South-eastern Nigeria. In this study, three major food crops (i.e., rice, yam and cassava) and two elements of modern technologies (i.e., HYV seeds and inorganic fertilizers) are considered. The hypotheses of the study are that inverse farm size – technology adoption, size – productivity, size- profitability and size – food availability relationships exist in Nigerian agriculture. The research is based on an in-depth farm-survey of 400 farmers from two states (251 from Ebonyi and 149 from Anambra states) of South-eastern Nigeria. Data has also been derived from surveys and interviews of ADP Program Managers and NGOs. A range of qualitative and quantitative methods including inferential statistics, bivariate probit model and regression analysis were used in order to achieve the specific objectives and test hypotheses. The results show that sample respondents are dominated by small scale farmers (81% of total) owning land less than 1 ha. The average farm size is small estimated at 1.27 ha. Farmers grow multiple crops instead of a single crop, i.e., 68% of the surveyed farmers grew at least two food crops. The level of modern technology adoption is low and mixed and farmers selectively adopt components of technologies as expected and use far less than recommended dose of fertilizers in crops. Only 29% of farmers adopted both HYV seeds and fertilizers as a package. The study clearly demonstrates that inverse farm size – technology adoption, farm size – productivity, and farm size – food availability relationships exist in agriculture in this region of Nigeria; but not inverse farm size – profitability. The bivariate probit model diagnostic reveals that the decision to adopt modern technologies are significantly correlated, implying that univariate analysis of such decisions are biased, thereby, justifying use of the bivariate approach. Overall, the most dominant determinants are the positive influence of farming experience and the negative influence of remoteness of extension services on modern technology adoption. The per capita per day level of mean food produced is 12322.74 calories from one ha of land and food available for consumption is 4693.34 calories which is higher than the daily requirement of 2000 calories. Yam is produced mainly for sale while cassava is produced for consumption. Regression analysis shows that farm size and share of cassava in the total crop portfolio significantly increases food availability. A host of constraints are affecting Nigerian agriculture, which includes lack of extension agents, credit facilities, farm inputs, irrigation, and value addition and corruption, lack of support for ADP staff and ineffective government policies. Policy implications include investment in extension credit services and other infrastructure (e.g., irrigation, ADP staff), training of small farmers in business skills, promotion of modern technology, as a package as well as special projects targeted for cassava (e.g., Cassava Plus project) in order to boost modern technology adoption in food crops, as well as improving productivity, profitability and food availability at the farm-level in Nigeria.