PREVALENCE OF STUNTING AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG CHILDREN AGE BETWEEN 6-59 MONTHS IN DIBATE DISTRICT, METAKAL ZONE, BENISHANGUL GUMUZ REGION, WESTERN ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

Background: Stunting is the outcome of inadequate nutrition over the long periods of time. It starts in womb with a poor maternal nutrition, persist inadequate feeding and poor food quality.-However, there is a limited information about the prevalence of stunting and associated factors among children age between 6-59 months in the study area. Objective: To assess the Prevalence of Stunting and Associated Factors Among children age between 6- 59 months in Dibate District, Metakal Zone, Benishangul Gumuz Region, Western Ethiopia Motheds: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected 575 children age between 6-59 months in Dibate district Metekel Zone Benishangul Gumuz Region. Data was collected by trained data collectors through pretested structured questionnaire and by measuring length or height of the children to the nearest 0.1cm. Height for age index was used to assess Stunting of children age between 6-59 months by using WHO Growth Refernce. The data was entered onto Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Science version 22.0 for analysis. The descriptive analysis of data was indicated using numerical summary measures and the data were presented using frequency tables, figures and graphs. Bivariable logistic regression analyses were done to see the association between each independent variable and the outcome variable. After selecting candidate variables by bivariable analysis at p-value<0.25, the final multivariable binary logistic regression model was fitted. Adjusted odds ratio along with 95%CI were estimated to measure the strength of the association and identify factors associated with stunting using Multivariable logistic regression analysis. Level of statistical significance was declared at p value less or equal to 0.05 Result: - This prevalence of stunting among children age between 6-59 months in this study area was [32.8%, 95%CI: (28.9, 36.9)]. Family size ≥5 [(AOR: 7.15, 95%CI: (3.7, 13.9)], low household dietary diversity score [(AOR: 7.73, 95%CI: (3.42, 17.5)], duration of breast feeding of children age between 6- 11 months [(AOR: 2.83, 95% CI :( 1.14, 7.0)], child who have no feed animal food source ([AOR: 6.84, 95% CI :( (3.73, 12.6)]. And male children [(AOR: 1.88, 95%CI: (1.12, 3. 17)] were significantly associated with stunting CONCLUSION: - stunting was high prevalent and public health important among children age between 6-59 months in Dibate district. The study also showed poor household dietary diversity, no consuming animal source food, earily waning of breast feeding and family size ≥5 were predictors of stunting in the study area. The effort shuled be made to improve household dietary diversity, feeding child animal soruce food and not earily weaning of breast feeding