Prevalence of Undernutrition and Determinant Factors among Preschool Children in Hawassa, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The aim of the present study was estimate the magnitude and assesses associated risk factors with under nutrition among Preschool children at selected Hawassa City, South Ethiopia. A community based cross-sectional study was employed in Hawassa from February to March 2012.Weight and heights of the selected children were measured and the socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects were collected using a structured interviewed questionnaire. After standardizing Preschool children weight and height using the new 2006 WHO child growth standard, a cut-off of two standard deviations below the mean defined the prevalence of stunting (length-for-age<-2),underweight(weight-for-age<-2)and wasting (weight-for-length <-2).Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of malnutrition. Out of 358 participants (50.6%) were girls while (49.4%) were boys with mean (±SD) age were 48.8±9 months. The overall prevalence of malnutrition in the community was high with 43.6% of the children being underweight (53.1%) stunted and (28.2%) wasted. Prevalence of severe stunting, underweight and wasting were 2.50%, 0.30% and 0.80% respectively. The children with age group 36-47 months were 2.9 times more likely to be wasted when compared to children from age group 48-60 months (AOR = 2.87 [95% CI: 1.73-4.77]. The study participants who were categorized in the low socioeconomic status tertiles were 4.4 times more likely to be wasted as compared to the high socioeconomic status tertiles AOR = 4.41 [95% CI: 2.94-8.45]. There was a high prevalence of under nutrition in the study area. The nutritional status (Wasted) of children in Hawassa was affected by low socioeconomic status and early age of child (36-47months). Thus, to improve nutritional status of children the full implementation of the poverty alleviation programmes should be considered and appropriate measures need to be taken to support needy families with children.

Keywords: Determinant Factors, Ethiopia, Hawassa, Preschool children, Undernutrition