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Background Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the gold standard of child feeding practice in which ... more Background Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the gold standard of child feeding practice in which the infant only receives breast milk without any additional food or drink, not even water and it lasts up to 6 months after delivery. In the study area, there is a lack of data on the prevalence of cessation of EBF. Methods Community-based cross-sectional study design was used among 292 mothers of infants aged 0–6 months. The data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out. An odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to measure the strength of the association. Statistical significance was declared at P-value <0.05. Results The prevalence of cessation of EBF was 57.3% with 95% CI [50.9–62.6]. This study showed being employed (working outside the home) (AOR = 2.44; 95% CI [1.32–4.53]), being rural residence (AOR = 1.87; 95% CI [1.05–3.32]), and inadequate knowledge of EBF (AOR = 2:02; 95% CI [1.19–3.43]) were independent predictors of cessation of EBF. Conclusion and Recommendation Our data identified a higher prevalence of cessation of EBF in the study area compared to most studies in Ethiopia and elsewhere. Efforts on improving knowledge of the importance of EBF particularly in rural areas and support for breastfeeding-employed women are recommended.
Background
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the gold standard of child feeding practice in which ... more Background Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the gold standard of child feeding practice in which the infant only receives breast milk without any additional food or drink, not even water and it lasts up to 6 months after delivery. In the study area, there is a lack of data on the prevalence of cessation of EBF.
Methods Community-based cross-sectional study design was used among 292 mothers of infants aged 0–6 months. The data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out. An odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to measure the strength of the association. Statistical significance was declared at P-value <0.05.
Results The prevalence of cessation of EBF was 57.3% with 95% CI [50.9–62.6]. This study showed being employed (working outside the home) (AOR = 2.44; 95% CI [1.32–4.53]), being rural residence (AOR = 1.87; 95% CI [1.05–3.32]), and inadequate knowledge of EBF (AOR = 2:02; 95% CI [1.19–3.43]) were independent predictors of cessation of EBF.
Conclusion and Recommendation Our data identified a higher prevalence of cessation of EBF in the study area compared to most studies in Ethiopia and elsewhere. Efforts on improving knowledge of the importance of EBF particularly in rural areas and support for breastfeeding-employed women are recommended.
On a global basis, 144 million people are stunted, and in Ethiopia, it remains a major public hea... more On a global basis, 144 million people are stunted, and in Ethiopia, it remains a major public health problem. A limited number of studies have been conducted at the national level and in the study area to generate information on stunting at birth. The present study investigated the magnitude and predictors of stunting among newborns delivered at the Public Hospitals of Hawassa City, Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted between August and September 2021 among mothers and newborns (N 371). Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with the mother in a waiting room after the delivery of the child at the hospital. Newborn length and weight were measured and converted to length-for-age Z-score using WHO standards. The prevalence of stunting at birth (35⋅6 %) and low birth weight (24⋅6 %) were high. In the adjusted model, factors significantly associated with stunting were birth interval <2 years, low birth weight, inadequate dietary diversity and fo...
On a global basis, 144 million people are stunted, and in Ethiopia, it remains a major public hea... more On a global basis, 144 million people are stunted, and in Ethiopia, it remains a major public health problem. A limited number of studies have been conducted at the national level and in the study area to generate information on stunting at birth. The present study investigated the magnitude and predictors of stunting among newborns delivered at the Public Hospitals of Hawassa City, Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted between August and September 2021 among mothers and newborns (N 371). Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with the mother in a waiting room after the delivery of the child at the hospital. Newborn length and weight were measured and converted to length-forage Z-score using WHO standards. The prevalence of stunting at birth (35⋅6 %) and low birth weight (24⋅6 %) were high. In the adjusted model, factors significantly associated with stunting were birth interval <2 years, low birth weight, inadequate dietary diversity and food insecurity (P < 0⋅01) mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) of mother <23 cm (P < 0⋅05). The high magnitude of stunting and low birth weight calls all stakeholders and nutrition actors to work on preventing maternal undernutrition and improving their dietary practice through nutrition education. It is also recommended to mitigate food insecurity with evidence-based interventions using a combination of measures. Additionally improving maternal health services including family spacing was recommended to reduce stunting and low birth weight among newborns in the study area.
Child malnutrition is the leading public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in poor ... more Child malnutrition is the leading public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in poor health and economic losses. Ethiopia has one of the highest child undernutrition rates in the world that occurs to multifaceted factors, including food insecurity. Thus, we performed a cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence and risk factors for child undernutrition in largely food insecure areas of Ethiopia. Data were collected from 354 mother–child pairs from the Siraro district. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used for statistical analysis. Variables with a P-value of <0⋅05 in multivariate analysis were used to detect statistical significance at a 95 % confidence level. About 67 % of households are food insecure. The prevalence of stunting wasting and underweight were 42⋅7, 9⋅9 and 27⋅7 %, respectively. Female gender, higher age of the child (12–23 months v. 6–11 months), living in a household with five or more siblings, not getting therapeutic zinc s...
Child undernutrition is widespread in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and is associated w... more Child undernutrition is widespread in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and is associated with health and economic losses. Undernutrition is estimated to contribute to 3.1 million deaths per year in children less than 5 years of age. A complex causal and contextual factors contributing to child undernutrition have been assessed, but maternal depression, which could contribute to child undernutrition by interfering with the mother&#39;s child caring practice and ability, has been received little attention. The objective of this study was to assess the association between maternal postpartum depression symptoms and infant (5–10 months of age) stunting in northern Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among mother–infant pairs (n = 232) between March and April 2018. Through intervieweradministrated questionnaire, information on sociodemographic variables were collected, and maternal depression symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS≥13). Infants&#39; length and weight were measured and converted to length and weight for age Z scores using the WHO growth standards. Breastfeeding was a norm, but the adequacy of complementary feeding practice was sub-optimal. Only 25% of the infants met the minimum meal frequency (MMF), less than 10% met the minimum dietary diversity (MMD; 9%) or minimum acceptable diet (7%). Maternal depression was prevalent (22.8%) and was significantly associated with inappropriate complementary feeding and stunting (P &lt; .05). Improving complementary feeding practices is central to preventing stunting in this and other settings. However, such efforts should integrate interventions that address maternal depression to improve child feeding and caring practices to effectively prevent stunting.
Research Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, 2017
Maternal nutrition is an important public health problem in low-income countries around the world... more Maternal nutrition is an important public health problem in low-income countries around the world and mothers from this setting are considered as a nutritionally vulnerable group. Due to the nursing process, mothers are subjected to nutritional stresses. Frequent pregnancies followed by lactation and poor feeding habits result in poor birth outcomes and increase morbidity and mortality risk of mothers and their children. The objective of this review is to identify systematically, appraise and synthesize the best available evidence on the maternal feeding practice and its outcome in developing countries. Electronic search of Medline, Pub Med, Health Inter-network access to Research Initiative (HINARI), and Google Scholar databases were conducted. Results of interest were maternal feeding practice and its outcome. Many studies concluded that the most frequent proximate causes of maternal malnutrition include inadequate food intake, poor nutritional quality of diets, frequent infections and short inter-pregnancy intervals. Majority of the reviewed articles also reported that in developing world women are more likely to suffer from nutritional deficiency than men. The feeding practices, dietary intakes and nutritional status of women in most developing countries were short of the national and international recommendations. The diets of women and mothers are often overlooked socioeconomic conditions, cultural beliefs, taboos and misconceptions are the major determinant factors for poor maternal feeding practice, which increase not only women’s chance of being malnourished but increases the chance of intrauterine growth retardation and childhood malnutrition. The effect of poor dietary habits and feeding practices of mothers do not end with poor birth outcomes and nutritional status of the newborn but may extend on influencing children eating behavior, which results with poor health and nutritional status of children. Dietary counseling in order to achieve optimal nutritional situation of women through behavioral change programs, when appropriate and a need for more comprehensive applied research studies as a means to find scientific solution are recommended.
Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal, 2014
Globally it is estimated that 162 million under-five year old children are stunted. Africa is kno... more Globally it is estimated that 162 million under-five year old children are stunted. Africa is known with one of the highest prevalence of stunting in the world. Even though studies suggested various determinants for stunting in Africa; there is lack of agreement about the relative importance of factors affecting the nutritional status of children. We reviewed all literatures, including: observational studies, and prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the prevalence and determinants of stunting in children under the age of five years in Africa to identify systematically, appraise and synthesize the best available evidence on the magnitude and epidemiological factors for stunting among children under the age of five years in Africa by conducting electronic search of Medline, Pub Med, Health Inter-network access to Research Initiative (HINARI), and Google Scholar databases. After exclusion of irrelevant ones, 21 out of 55 articles were considered for the final anal...
Alcohol abuse among women is a public health importance that may impair prenatal and postnatal gr... more Alcohol abuse among women is a public health importance that may impair prenatal and postnatal growth. Tella is among the most common homemade alcoholic beverages in rural Ethiopia, but little is known about the magnitude of tella intake during pregnancy and lactation or its effects on child growth. The present study investigated associations between maternal tella intake and the growth of their children. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted with mothers (n 228) and their 12–36-month-old children and with key informants (n 12). Tella intake during most recent pregnancy and lactation was estimated retrospectively by glasses per drinking event and frequency of events. Nearly 80 % of mothers had consumed some amount of tella during their most recent pregnancy and lactation. Furthermore, 72 % of children had tasted or drunk tella at some time during their life. Stunting was 42 % and was significantly associated with maternal tella consumption at least every other day duri...
Alcohol abuse among women is a public health importance that may impair prenatal and postnatal gr... more Alcohol abuse among women is a public health importance that may impair prenatal and postnatal growth. Tella is among the most common homemade alcoholic beverages in rural Ethiopia, but little is known about the magnitude of tella intake during pregnancy and lactation or its effects on child growth. The present study investigated associations between maternal tella intake and the growth of their children. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted with mothers (n 228) and their 12-36-month-old children and with key informants (n 12). Tella intake during most recent pregnancy and lactation was estimated retrospectively by glasses per drinking event and frequency of events. Nearly 80 % of mothers had consumed some amount of tella during their most recent pregnancy and lactation. Furthermore, 72 % of children had tasted or drunk tella at some time during their life. Stunting was 42 % and was significantly associated with maternal tella consumption at least every other day during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 4⋅97, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 2⋅20, 11⋅25), male sex (AOR 2⋅31, 95 % CI 1⋅27, 4⋅19), two or more under-5-year-old children in the household (AOR 3⋅52, 95 % CI 1⋅49, 8⋅33) and family size >5 (AOR 1⋅84, 95 % CI 1⋅01, 3⋅36). Underweight was 24⋅6 % and was associated with the child drinking tella with their mother (AOR 4⋅23, 95 % CI 1⋅99, 8⋅97), being male (AOR 3⋅73, 95 % CI 1⋅73, 7⋅94), having ≥3 diarrhoeal episodes in the last 3 months (AOR 11⋅83, 95 % CI 4⋅22, 33⋅14) and being in the older age group (AOR 2⋅98, 95 % CI 1⋅09, 8⋅13). The associations between tella intake and child growth suggest the need to mitigate the effects of tella on child anthropometry.
Background Child undernutrition is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Stunting is highest... more Background Child undernutrition is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Stunting is highest in food-insecure areas and insufficient evidence may impair the design of suitable interventions. Objectives This study aimed to identify key factors contributing to undernutrition among 6- to 23-mo-old children. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study in food-insecure areas of Amhara and Oromia regions in April-June, 2018, enrolled 464 mother–child dyads. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results The prevalence of stunting (43.1%), wasting (12.3%), and underweight (27.3%) were high. Factors significantly associated with both stunting and underweight were child age of 12–23 mo (vs 6–11 mo), female, more siblings, lack of zinc supplement for diarrhea, inadequate diet diversity, and lack of iodized salt in complementary food. Conclusions: Our findings support the need to emphasize appropriate child feeding practices and iodized salt utilizatio...
BACKGROUND Literature has shown that there is vicious cycle between malnutrition and HIV infectio... more BACKGROUND Literature has shown that there is vicious cycle between malnutrition and HIV infection. In Ethiopia, antiretroviral therapy (ART) was started about eight years back but, to the best of authors' knowledge, there was no published study that assessed treatment outcome indicators. OBJECTIVE To assess the outcomes of ART from the perspective of nutritional, clinical, functional and immunological status. METHODS A retrospective recored review was used to assess the nutritional status of adults before and after ART in Hawassa University referral hospital. This analysis included 358 living HIV positive adults who were on ART for 3 - 96 months. RESULTS The mean age of the study participants was 33.75 +/- 9.12 years and the median duration of ART was 24 months (Inter-quartile range: 12, 36). After ART, cases with body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m2 dropped from 38% to about 20% and cases with CD4 count < 200/mm3 dropped from about 73% to about 9% (P < 0.0001 for each)....
Background: In Ethiopia, open defecation is a wide spread practice and this practice facilitates ... more Background: In Ethiopia, open defecation is a wide spread practice and this practice facilitates the transmission of infections. The main purpose of this study is to test the application of the Positive deviance (PD) approach on solving open defecation practice of the community. The approach uses solutions that already exist in the community to bring about sustainable behavioral and social change. Objective: Primarily aimed to achieve better sanitation and Sustainable Open-Defecation Free (ODF) villages in DFSA targeted areas of Amahara and Oromia region. Method: This study used Positive Deviance (PD) approach to understand and describe its application as a strategy to increases sustainable ODF villages in DFSA targeted areas of Amhara and Oromia regions. It used the three steps of the positive deviance methodology and utilized a purposive sampling method in selecting key informants, position and significance of individuals in society and involvement in other past health programs. F...
Although different combinations of nutrition interventions are employed, most are insufficient to... more Although different combinations of nutrition interventions are employed, most are insufficient to reduce stunting significantly. This study aimed to draw current evidence to reduce stunting among under 5 years children from randomized controlled trials. Eligible randomized controlled trials met inclusion criteria were included. The weighted mean effect sizes with 95% CIs were used as summary measures for changes in height-forage z score (HAZ) using random-effect models; heterogeneity was analyzed using predefined characteristics. From the total of 116 articles, 47 randomized controlled trials with a sample size of 35,115 study participants were included for analysis. Except for educational intervention (0.14; 95%CI: 0.00, 0.27), the weighted mean effects of iron, zinc, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), multiple micronutrients (MMN) and dietary interventions were all insignificant. A fixed combination of nutrition interventions demonstrating similar benefit in all contexts is not found. Our results are insufficient to make a recommendation on the most appropriate interventions to reduce stunting in all settings. This result highlights the importance of further evidence before nutrition component formulation for large-scale interventions. The short duration of the interventions and lack of information about the infection status of participants in most of the included trials remain two of the possible limitations needing consideration.
Background Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the gold standard of child feeding practice in which ... more Background Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the gold standard of child feeding practice in which the infant only receives breast milk without any additional food or drink, not even water and it lasts up to 6 months after delivery. In the study area, there is a lack of data on the prevalence of cessation of EBF. Methods Community-based cross-sectional study design was used among 292 mothers of infants aged 0–6 months. The data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out. An odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to measure the strength of the association. Statistical significance was declared at P-value &lt;0.05. Results The prevalence of cessation of EBF was 57.3% with 95% CI [50.9–62.6]. This study showed being employed (working outside the home) (AOR = 2.44; 95% CI [1.32–4.53]), being rural residence (AOR = 1.87; 95% CI [1.05–3.32]), and inadequate knowledge of EBF (AOR = 2:02; 95% CI [1.19–3.43]) were independent predictors of cessation of EBF. Conclusion and Recommendation Our data identified a higher prevalence of cessation of EBF in the study area compared to most studies in Ethiopia and elsewhere. Efforts on improving knowledge of the importance of EBF particularly in rural areas and support for breastfeeding-employed women are recommended.
Background
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the gold standard of child feeding practice in which ... more Background Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the gold standard of child feeding practice in which the infant only receives breast milk without any additional food or drink, not even water and it lasts up to 6 months after delivery. In the study area, there is a lack of data on the prevalence of cessation of EBF.
Methods Community-based cross-sectional study design was used among 292 mothers of infants aged 0–6 months. The data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out. An odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to measure the strength of the association. Statistical significance was declared at P-value <0.05.
Results The prevalence of cessation of EBF was 57.3% with 95% CI [50.9–62.6]. This study showed being employed (working outside the home) (AOR = 2.44; 95% CI [1.32–4.53]), being rural residence (AOR = 1.87; 95% CI [1.05–3.32]), and inadequate knowledge of EBF (AOR = 2:02; 95% CI [1.19–3.43]) were independent predictors of cessation of EBF.
Conclusion and Recommendation Our data identified a higher prevalence of cessation of EBF in the study area compared to most studies in Ethiopia and elsewhere. Efforts on improving knowledge of the importance of EBF particularly in rural areas and support for breastfeeding-employed women are recommended.
On a global basis, 144 million people are stunted, and in Ethiopia, it remains a major public hea... more On a global basis, 144 million people are stunted, and in Ethiopia, it remains a major public health problem. A limited number of studies have been conducted at the national level and in the study area to generate information on stunting at birth. The present study investigated the magnitude and predictors of stunting among newborns delivered at the Public Hospitals of Hawassa City, Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted between August and September 2021 among mothers and newborns (N 371). Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with the mother in a waiting room after the delivery of the child at the hospital. Newborn length and weight were measured and converted to length-for-age Z-score using WHO standards. The prevalence of stunting at birth (35⋅6 %) and low birth weight (24⋅6 %) were high. In the adjusted model, factors significantly associated with stunting were birth interval <2 years, low birth weight, inadequate dietary diversity and fo...
On a global basis, 144 million people are stunted, and in Ethiopia, it remains a major public hea... more On a global basis, 144 million people are stunted, and in Ethiopia, it remains a major public health problem. A limited number of studies have been conducted at the national level and in the study area to generate information on stunting at birth. The present study investigated the magnitude and predictors of stunting among newborns delivered at the Public Hospitals of Hawassa City, Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted between August and September 2021 among mothers and newborns (N 371). Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with the mother in a waiting room after the delivery of the child at the hospital. Newborn length and weight were measured and converted to length-forage Z-score using WHO standards. The prevalence of stunting at birth (35⋅6 %) and low birth weight (24⋅6 %) were high. In the adjusted model, factors significantly associated with stunting were birth interval <2 years, low birth weight, inadequate dietary diversity and food insecurity (P < 0⋅01) mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) of mother <23 cm (P < 0⋅05). The high magnitude of stunting and low birth weight calls all stakeholders and nutrition actors to work on preventing maternal undernutrition and improving their dietary practice through nutrition education. It is also recommended to mitigate food insecurity with evidence-based interventions using a combination of measures. Additionally improving maternal health services including family spacing was recommended to reduce stunting and low birth weight among newborns in the study area.
Child malnutrition is the leading public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in poor ... more Child malnutrition is the leading public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in poor health and economic losses. Ethiopia has one of the highest child undernutrition rates in the world that occurs to multifaceted factors, including food insecurity. Thus, we performed a cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence and risk factors for child undernutrition in largely food insecure areas of Ethiopia. Data were collected from 354 mother–child pairs from the Siraro district. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used for statistical analysis. Variables with a P-value of <0⋅05 in multivariate analysis were used to detect statistical significance at a 95 % confidence level. About 67 % of households are food insecure. The prevalence of stunting wasting and underweight were 42⋅7, 9⋅9 and 27⋅7 %, respectively. Female gender, higher age of the child (12–23 months v. 6–11 months), living in a household with five or more siblings, not getting therapeutic zinc s...
Child undernutrition is widespread in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and is associated w... more Child undernutrition is widespread in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and is associated with health and economic losses. Undernutrition is estimated to contribute to 3.1 million deaths per year in children less than 5 years of age. A complex causal and contextual factors contributing to child undernutrition have been assessed, but maternal depression, which could contribute to child undernutrition by interfering with the mother&#39;s child caring practice and ability, has been received little attention. The objective of this study was to assess the association between maternal postpartum depression symptoms and infant (5–10 months of age) stunting in northern Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among mother–infant pairs (n = 232) between March and April 2018. Through intervieweradministrated questionnaire, information on sociodemographic variables were collected, and maternal depression symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS≥13). Infants&#39; length and weight were measured and converted to length and weight for age Z scores using the WHO growth standards. Breastfeeding was a norm, but the adequacy of complementary feeding practice was sub-optimal. Only 25% of the infants met the minimum meal frequency (MMF), less than 10% met the minimum dietary diversity (MMD; 9%) or minimum acceptable diet (7%). Maternal depression was prevalent (22.8%) and was significantly associated with inappropriate complementary feeding and stunting (P &lt; .05). Improving complementary feeding practices is central to preventing stunting in this and other settings. However, such efforts should integrate interventions that address maternal depression to improve child feeding and caring practices to effectively prevent stunting.
Research Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, 2017
Maternal nutrition is an important public health problem in low-income countries around the world... more Maternal nutrition is an important public health problem in low-income countries around the world and mothers from this setting are considered as a nutritionally vulnerable group. Due to the nursing process, mothers are subjected to nutritional stresses. Frequent pregnancies followed by lactation and poor feeding habits result in poor birth outcomes and increase morbidity and mortality risk of mothers and their children. The objective of this review is to identify systematically, appraise and synthesize the best available evidence on the maternal feeding practice and its outcome in developing countries. Electronic search of Medline, Pub Med, Health Inter-network access to Research Initiative (HINARI), and Google Scholar databases were conducted. Results of interest were maternal feeding practice and its outcome. Many studies concluded that the most frequent proximate causes of maternal malnutrition include inadequate food intake, poor nutritional quality of diets, frequent infections and short inter-pregnancy intervals. Majority of the reviewed articles also reported that in developing world women are more likely to suffer from nutritional deficiency than men. The feeding practices, dietary intakes and nutritional status of women in most developing countries were short of the national and international recommendations. The diets of women and mothers are often overlooked socioeconomic conditions, cultural beliefs, taboos and misconceptions are the major determinant factors for poor maternal feeding practice, which increase not only women’s chance of being malnourished but increases the chance of intrauterine growth retardation and childhood malnutrition. The effect of poor dietary habits and feeding practices of mothers do not end with poor birth outcomes and nutritional status of the newborn but may extend on influencing children eating behavior, which results with poor health and nutritional status of children. Dietary counseling in order to achieve optimal nutritional situation of women through behavioral change programs, when appropriate and a need for more comprehensive applied research studies as a means to find scientific solution are recommended.
Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal, 2014
Globally it is estimated that 162 million under-five year old children are stunted. Africa is kno... more Globally it is estimated that 162 million under-five year old children are stunted. Africa is known with one of the highest prevalence of stunting in the world. Even though studies suggested various determinants for stunting in Africa; there is lack of agreement about the relative importance of factors affecting the nutritional status of children. We reviewed all literatures, including: observational studies, and prospective randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the prevalence and determinants of stunting in children under the age of five years in Africa to identify systematically, appraise and synthesize the best available evidence on the magnitude and epidemiological factors for stunting among children under the age of five years in Africa by conducting electronic search of Medline, Pub Med, Health Inter-network access to Research Initiative (HINARI), and Google Scholar databases. After exclusion of irrelevant ones, 21 out of 55 articles were considered for the final anal...
Alcohol abuse among women is a public health importance that may impair prenatal and postnatal gr... more Alcohol abuse among women is a public health importance that may impair prenatal and postnatal growth. Tella is among the most common homemade alcoholic beverages in rural Ethiopia, but little is known about the magnitude of tella intake during pregnancy and lactation or its effects on child growth. The present study investigated associations between maternal tella intake and the growth of their children. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted with mothers (n 228) and their 12–36-month-old children and with key informants (n 12). Tella intake during most recent pregnancy and lactation was estimated retrospectively by glasses per drinking event and frequency of events. Nearly 80 % of mothers had consumed some amount of tella during their most recent pregnancy and lactation. Furthermore, 72 % of children had tasted or drunk tella at some time during their life. Stunting was 42 % and was significantly associated with maternal tella consumption at least every other day duri...
Alcohol abuse among women is a public health importance that may impair prenatal and postnatal gr... more Alcohol abuse among women is a public health importance that may impair prenatal and postnatal growth. Tella is among the most common homemade alcoholic beverages in rural Ethiopia, but little is known about the magnitude of tella intake during pregnancy and lactation or its effects on child growth. The present study investigated associations between maternal tella intake and the growth of their children. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted with mothers (n 228) and their 12-36-month-old children and with key informants (n 12). Tella intake during most recent pregnancy and lactation was estimated retrospectively by glasses per drinking event and frequency of events. Nearly 80 % of mothers had consumed some amount of tella during their most recent pregnancy and lactation. Furthermore, 72 % of children had tasted or drunk tella at some time during their life. Stunting was 42 % and was significantly associated with maternal tella consumption at least every other day during pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 4⋅97, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 2⋅20, 11⋅25), male sex (AOR 2⋅31, 95 % CI 1⋅27, 4⋅19), two or more under-5-year-old children in the household (AOR 3⋅52, 95 % CI 1⋅49, 8⋅33) and family size >5 (AOR 1⋅84, 95 % CI 1⋅01, 3⋅36). Underweight was 24⋅6 % and was associated with the child drinking tella with their mother (AOR 4⋅23, 95 % CI 1⋅99, 8⋅97), being male (AOR 3⋅73, 95 % CI 1⋅73, 7⋅94), having ≥3 diarrhoeal episodes in the last 3 months (AOR 11⋅83, 95 % CI 4⋅22, 33⋅14) and being in the older age group (AOR 2⋅98, 95 % CI 1⋅09, 8⋅13). The associations between tella intake and child growth suggest the need to mitigate the effects of tella on child anthropometry.
Background Child undernutrition is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Stunting is highest... more Background Child undernutrition is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Stunting is highest in food-insecure areas and insufficient evidence may impair the design of suitable interventions. Objectives This study aimed to identify key factors contributing to undernutrition among 6- to 23-mo-old children. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study in food-insecure areas of Amhara and Oromia regions in April-June, 2018, enrolled 464 mother–child dyads. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results The prevalence of stunting (43.1%), wasting (12.3%), and underweight (27.3%) were high. Factors significantly associated with both stunting and underweight were child age of 12–23 mo (vs 6–11 mo), female, more siblings, lack of zinc supplement for diarrhea, inadequate diet diversity, and lack of iodized salt in complementary food. Conclusions: Our findings support the need to emphasize appropriate child feeding practices and iodized salt utilizatio...
BACKGROUND Literature has shown that there is vicious cycle between malnutrition and HIV infectio... more BACKGROUND Literature has shown that there is vicious cycle between malnutrition and HIV infection. In Ethiopia, antiretroviral therapy (ART) was started about eight years back but, to the best of authors' knowledge, there was no published study that assessed treatment outcome indicators. OBJECTIVE To assess the outcomes of ART from the perspective of nutritional, clinical, functional and immunological status. METHODS A retrospective recored review was used to assess the nutritional status of adults before and after ART in Hawassa University referral hospital. This analysis included 358 living HIV positive adults who were on ART for 3 - 96 months. RESULTS The mean age of the study participants was 33.75 +/- 9.12 years and the median duration of ART was 24 months (Inter-quartile range: 12, 36). After ART, cases with body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m2 dropped from 38% to about 20% and cases with CD4 count < 200/mm3 dropped from about 73% to about 9% (P < 0.0001 for each)....
Background: In Ethiopia, open defecation is a wide spread practice and this practice facilitates ... more Background: In Ethiopia, open defecation is a wide spread practice and this practice facilitates the transmission of infections. The main purpose of this study is to test the application of the Positive deviance (PD) approach on solving open defecation practice of the community. The approach uses solutions that already exist in the community to bring about sustainable behavioral and social change. Objective: Primarily aimed to achieve better sanitation and Sustainable Open-Defecation Free (ODF) villages in DFSA targeted areas of Amahara and Oromia region. Method: This study used Positive Deviance (PD) approach to understand and describe its application as a strategy to increases sustainable ODF villages in DFSA targeted areas of Amhara and Oromia regions. It used the three steps of the positive deviance methodology and utilized a purposive sampling method in selecting key informants, position and significance of individuals in society and involvement in other past health programs. F...
Although different combinations of nutrition interventions are employed, most are insufficient to... more Although different combinations of nutrition interventions are employed, most are insufficient to reduce stunting significantly. This study aimed to draw current evidence to reduce stunting among under 5 years children from randomized controlled trials. Eligible randomized controlled trials met inclusion criteria were included. The weighted mean effect sizes with 95% CIs were used as summary measures for changes in height-forage z score (HAZ) using random-effect models; heterogeneity was analyzed using predefined characteristics. From the total of 116 articles, 47 randomized controlled trials with a sample size of 35,115 study participants were included for analysis. Except for educational intervention (0.14; 95%CI: 0.00, 0.27), the weighted mean effects of iron, zinc, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), multiple micronutrients (MMN) and dietary interventions were all insignificant. A fixed combination of nutrition interventions demonstrating similar benefit in all contexts is not found. Our results are insufficient to make a recommendation on the most appropriate interventions to reduce stunting in all settings. This result highlights the importance of further evidence before nutrition component formulation for large-scale interventions. The short duration of the interventions and lack of information about the infection status of participants in most of the included trials remain two of the possible limitations needing consideration.
Child malnutrition is the leading public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in poor ... more Child malnutrition is the leading public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in poor health and economic losses. Ethiopia has one of the highest child undernutrition rates in the world that occurs to multifaceted factors, including food insecurity. Thus, we performed a cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence and risk factors for child undernutrition in largely food insecure areas of Ethiopia. Data were collected from 354 mother-child pairs from the Siraro district. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was used for statistical analysis. Variables with a P-value of <0⋅05 in multivariate analysis were used to detect statistical significance at a 95 % confidence level. About 67 % of households are food insecure. The prevalence of stunting wasting and underweight were 42⋅7, 9⋅9 and 27⋅7 %, respectively. Female gender, higher age of the child (12-23 months v. 6-11 months), living in a household with five or more siblings, not getting therapeutic zinc supplement at least once, inadequate diet diversity, lack of growth monitoring service, and maternal own income increases the likelihood of child undernutrition. It can be concluded that child undernutrition is a severe public health problem in the study area. Improving primary healthcare services related to zinc supplementation, growth monitoring and promotion, and improving infant and child feeding practices can be considered as a strategy to address the problem.
Background: Child undernutrition is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Stunting is highes... more Background: Child undernutrition is a major public health problem in Ethiopia. Stunting is highest in food-insecure areas and insufficient evidence may impair the design of suitable interventions. Objectives: This study aimed to identify key factors contributing to undernutrition among 6-to 23-mo-old children. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study in food-insecure areas of Amhara and Oromia regions in April-June, 2018, enrolled 464 mother-child dyads. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: The prevalence of stunting (43.1%), wasting (12.3%), and underweight (27.3%) were high. Factors significantly associated with both stunting and underweight were child age of 12-23 mo (vs 6-11 mo), female, more siblings, lack of zinc supplement for diarrhea, inadequate diet diversity, and lack of iodized salt in complementary food. Conclusions: Our findings support the need to emphasize appropriate child feeding practices and iodized salt utilization. Improvement of primary health care services related to micronutrient supplementation and family spacing also are important to address child undernutrition in the study area. Curr Dev Nutr 2020;4:nzaa137.
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Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the gold standard of child feeding practice in which the infant only receives breast milk without any additional food or drink, not even water and it lasts up to 6 months after delivery. In the study area, there is a lack of data on the prevalence of cessation of EBF.
Methods
Community-based cross-sectional study design was used among 292 mothers of infants aged 0–6 months. The data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out. An odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to measure the strength of the association. Statistical significance was declared at P-value <0.05.
Results
The prevalence of cessation of EBF was 57.3% with 95% CI [50.9–62.6]. This study showed being employed (working outside the home) (AOR = 2.44; 95% CI [1.32–4.53]), being rural residence (AOR = 1.87; 95% CI [1.05–3.32]), and inadequate knowledge of EBF (AOR = 2:02; 95% CI [1.19–3.43]) were independent predictors of cessation of EBF.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Our data identified a higher prevalence of cessation of EBF in the study area compared to most studies in Ethiopia and elsewhere. Efforts on improving knowledge of the importance of EBF particularly in rural areas and support for breastfeeding-employed women are recommended.
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the gold standard of child feeding practice in which the infant only receives breast milk without any additional food or drink, not even water and it lasts up to 6 months after delivery. In the study area, there is a lack of data on the prevalence of cessation of EBF.
Methods
Community-based cross-sectional study design was used among 292 mothers of infants aged 0–6 months. The data was collected using a pretested structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out. An odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to measure the strength of the association. Statistical significance was declared at P-value <0.05.
Results
The prevalence of cessation of EBF was 57.3% with 95% CI [50.9–62.6]. This study showed being employed (working outside the home) (AOR = 2.44; 95% CI [1.32–4.53]), being rural residence (AOR = 1.87; 95% CI [1.05–3.32]), and inadequate knowledge of EBF (AOR = 2:02; 95% CI [1.19–3.43]) were independent predictors of cessation of EBF.
Conclusion and Recommendation
Our data identified a higher prevalence of cessation of EBF in the study area compared to most studies in Ethiopia and elsewhere. Efforts on improving knowledge of the importance of EBF particularly in rural areas and support for breastfeeding-employed women are recommended.