Abstract:
Background: Vitamin A deficiency is among the leading preventable causes of
childhood morbidity and mortality that might be attributable to the low uptake
of vitamin A supplementation (VAS). Factors contributing to its low utilization are
not researched at the national level and with the appropriatemodel. Therefore, this
study aimed at identifying themagnitude and the individual- and community-level
factors associated with vitamin A supplementation among children aged 6–35
months in Ethiopia.
Methods: We have used the Ethiopian mini demographic and health survey
data, which was conducted from 21 March to 28 June 2019. A weighted sum
of 2,362 mothers having children aged 6–35 was extracted. Considering the
hierarchical nature of the data, we fitted the multilevel multivariable logistic
regression model. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval
(CI) was reported and variables with a p-value of <0.05 were declared to be
significantly associated factors.
Results: In this study, 43.4% (95% CI: 41.4–45.4%) of children have taken the VAS.
Moreover, the 12–23 age of the child (AOR = 2.64; 95% CI: 1.88–3.72), 30–34 age
of the mother (AOR = 3.34; 95% CI: 1.21–9.20), middle household wealth status
(AOR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.06–2.90), and four and above antenatal care (AOR = 2.90;
95% CI: 1.90–4.43) are the individual-level factors associated with VAS whereas
being from Amhara (AOR = 2.20; 95% CI: 1.29–3.76) and Tigray (AOR = 2.16; 95%
CI: 1.17–3.98) regions is a community-level factor significantly associated with the
uptake of VAS.
Conclusion: Overall, a low proportion of children have taken the VAS in Ethiopia.
The higher age of the child and mother, full antenatal care, and improved wealth
status positively influence VAS. Moreover, a child from the Tigray or Amhara
regions wasmore likely to get VAS. Therefore, an intervention has to be designed to
address the VAS uptake among youngmothers, and working to improve the wealth
status of the household would be helpful. Moreover, the advocacy of antenatal
care and minimizing the regional disparity through encouraging the uptake in the
rest of the regions would help increase the national-level uptake of VAS.
