UNDERNUTRITION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG CHILDREN AGED 6-59 MONTHS IN PRODUCTIVE SAFETY NET AND NON-PRODUCTIVE SAFETY NET HOUSEHOLDS OF META DISTRICT, EAST HARARGE ZONR, EASTERN ETHIOPIA.

Abstract

Background: Undernutrition is the major cause of childhood illness, death and disability in developing countries including Sub-Saharan Africa. However, there was scarcity of information on the magnitude and factors associated with undernutrition in Safety net and non-safety net program beneficiary households. Objective: This study was aimed at comparing the prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among children aged 6-59 months in productive safety net and non- productive safety households. Methods and materials: a Community based comparative cross sectional study was carried out among randomly selected 1555 children in productive safety net and non-productive safety net households in Meta distinct from 5th-20 th of March, 2017. Data were collected using an interviewer administered structured pre-tested questionnaire. Anthropometric data on weight were collected by using Salter scale for children aged 6-23 months and beam balance for those aged 24-59 months and length board was used to measure the height of the children aged 6-24 month in lying position. The data were entered and analyzed using SPSS for windows Version 20. Anthropometric data were analyzed using WHO Anthros software version 3.2.2. A bivariate logistic regression analysis was done to see the association between outcome variable and each independent variable. Variables with p-value less than 0.25 during bivariate logistic regression analyses were entered into multivariable logistic regression model to control for all possible confounders. Multicollinearity between independent variables was checked using standard error>2 and model fitness was checked by Hosmer Lemshow goodness of model fit test for stunting, underweight and wasting were 0.631, 0.266 and 0.748 receptively. Odds ratio along with 95% CI was estimated to identify factors associated with undernutrition. Level of statistical significance was declared at p-value < 0.05. Result: The prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting in PSNP 47.7%; 95% CI (44.1%, 51.5%), 27.0%; 95% CI (23.8%, 30.2%) & 12.0%; 95% CI (9.8%, 14.2%), respectively and Non- x Productive safety net households also 33.5%; 95% CI (29.9%, 36.9%), 18.1.%; 95% CI (15.5%, 20.6%) & 9.4%; 95% CI (7.2%, 11.3 %), respectively. Stunting was associated with non education mother [AOR:3.824; 95% CI: (2.160, 6.769 practice of hand washing [AOR: 0.426; 95% CI: (0.283, 0.643)], child illness [AOR: 8.882, 95% CI: (6.356, 12.411), not being exclusively breastfeed{AOR: 7.385; 95% CI: (5.254, 10.382)], women not making decision [AOR: 4.201; 95% CI: (2.971, 5.941)] and underweight was associated with female sex, [AOR: 0.596; 95% C.I:(0.439, 0.810)], not following antenatal care [AOR: 2.326; 95% C.I:(1.640, 3.299)] and absence of illness in the child[AOR: 0.294; 95% C.I:(0.215,0.403)]. Wasting was associated with hand washing [AOR: 0.265; 95% CI: (0.187, 0.377)], being in the non productive safety net area [AOR: 0.520; 95% CI: (0.358, 0.755)] and having own separate plate [AOR: .584; 95% CI: 0.407, 0.839]. Conclusion: The prevalence of undernutrition in this study area was higher than the Oromia Region State according to Mim-EDHS 2016. Undernutrition wasassociated with breast feeding, diversified complimentary diet, education of mother, decision making ability of the mother, hand washing and childhood illness. So we must plan and intervene on those factors to reduce the burden of undernutrition. Multisectoral approach, coordination, integration and intervention with available scarce resource.