Households Hunger: The Key Attribute to Anthropometric Failures of Children in West Oromia (Ethiopia)

Abstract

Poor nutrition is the underlying cause of child death. However, comprehensive data showing the relationships between dietary-practices, food security, and nutritional status are scant. The present study aimed to examine the association of inappropriate feeding practices and household-hunger with anthropometric measures in children aged 6–23 months. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on randomly selected 525-households. Semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to gather data on socio-demographic, child health, dietary-practices and household-hunger. Weight and height/length of the children were measured and analyzed using the new World Health Organization (WHO) Growth Standards. The prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight as well as composite index of anthropometric failure (CIFA) were used to indicate under-nutrition. The overall prevalence of inappropriate feeding practices was 22.9%, rate of moderate households-hunger was 12.4%, and the prevalence of stunting, underweight and wasting was 16.2%, 6.9% and 6.3%, respectively, while the CIAF was 21.3%. The prevalence was significantly higher in young children aged 12–23 months than in infants aged 6–11 months. Children from households experiencing moderate hunger had significantly higher risk of being stunting (OR: 10.20; 95%CI: 2.00–51.50), underweight (OR:3.89; 95%CI: 1.40–10.90), wasting (OR: 1.97; 95%CI: 0.99–3.90), and CIAF (OR: 1.90; 95%CI: 1.05–3.45), than those residing in households experiencing no or mild hunger. Multi-disciplinary approaches are required to improve household food-security and child dietary practices, thus the nutritional status among young children.

Keywords

child dietary practices / household hunger / anthropometric failures / West Oromia (Ethiopia)

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