Determinants of Child Nutritional Status in Debre Berhan Town, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The study examined the main Determinants of Child nutritional status in Debre Berhan Town, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. It employed institution-based case control study design that used both descriptive and inferential approaches. A total of 603 randomly selected children under the age of five participated in the study. Among them 201 were malnourished (cases) and 402 were normal (controls). Data was collected using interviewer administered questionnaire, infant-meter, weight-scale and checklist. OLS regression model was used for the analyses the relation between child malnutrition statuses with its main determinants. From the given explanatory variables, Breast feeding, status of the child, residence, marital and educational status of mother, family size, mothers average working hours per day outside home, age of mother, age difference with husband, satisfaction of women on others supports and access to media showed statistically significant contributions to child nutritional status. Based on those finding our study recommends that to improve the nutritional status and alleviate the problem of malnutrition, there should be a lot to be done on improving the status of women through various empowering programs including education.

Keywords: Child nutritional status, anthropometrics, Infant meter, OLS

DOI: 10.7176/JESD/13-21-04

Publication date: November 30^th 2022