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.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-408989 |
| Date | January 2019 |
| Creators | Mutisya, Linet |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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