PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF WASTING, STUNTING AND UNDERWEIGHT AMONG UNDER FIVE CHILDREN IN AMBO TOWN PUBLIC HOSPITALS, OROMIA, ETHIOPIA 2023

Abstract

Background: Under nutrition contributes to the deaths of around 3 million children and threatens the futures of hundreds of millions, undermining healthy development and the strength of their societies by preventing children from achieving their full potential. Under - nutrition is a combined consequence of poor dietary consumption and recurrent infectious illnesses, especially in our country, Ethiopia. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality among children. Objectives: To identify the prevalence and associated factors of under nutrition among under five children in Ambo town, West Shoa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia, in 2023. Method and Materials: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 394 under-five-year-old children from April 20–June 20. A structured questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were used to collect the data. Data were entered into epi-data and exported to the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), version 26. Descriptive statistics were computed. P-values ≤ 0.25 in bivariable analysis were entered into multivariable regression, and those p-values ≤ 0.05 with a 95% CI were declared as significantly associated factors. Results: In this study, 394 children and their corresponding mothers participated with a 100% response rate. The prevalence of wasting, stunting, and underweight were 21.3% [95% CI: (19.4–23.2)], 33% [95% CI: (30.8–35.2)], and 20.6% [95% CI: (19.1–22.1)], respectively. Meal frequency and family size were factors in wasting. Mother education, husband occupation and presence of diarrhea in the last 2 weeks were significantly associated with stunting and meal frequency, age at complimentary feeding and exclusive breast feeding, were associated factors of underweight. Conclusions: The prevalence of under nutrition was high in this study. Maternal education, husband occupation, diarrhea in the last two weeks prior to study, meal frequency, and age at complimentary and exclusive breast feeding were determinant factors of under nutrition. Therefore, improving meal frequency, maternal health awareness, and early childhood illness treatment will reduce under- five under nutrition.