Abstract:
Introduction: Poor housing condition, overcrowding, poor quality of drinking water, and inadequate sanitation and low socioeconomic status are the common problems in urban slum dwellers. Thus, children living under such conditions are always at high risk of developing undernutrition and other health problems. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of stunting and wasting and its associated factors among children 6-59 months living in slum areas of Gondar City, Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 03 to 18/2017 among 593 children. Structured interviewer-administered, and pretested questionnaire was used to collect data. Anthropometric measurements both weight and length/height were measured using procedures stipulated by the World Health Organization and nutritional indices were calculated using WHO Anthro software. Both bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression were employed to determine factors associated with stunting and wasting. Finally, 0.05 was used as a cut of point to determine statically significant association.
Results: The overall prevalence of stunting and wasting was 42.3% [95%CI: 38.34, 46.3] and 7.3% [95%CI: 5.3, 9.4], respectively. Poor wealth status [AOR=1.87, 95%CI; 1.24, 2.82] and age; 24-35 months [AOR=2.58, 95% CI; 1.33, 5.01], 36-47 months [AOR=2.29, 95%CI; 1.15, 4.57] and 48-59 months [AOR=2.68, 95%CI; 1.35, 5.31] were positively associated with stunting. Similarly, independent decision making power on money by husband [AOR= 3.77, 95%CI; 1.26, 11.29] and wife [AOR= 3.63, 95%CI; 1.19, 11.12] in the household were independently with wasting.
Conclusion and recommendation: In the slum areas both stunting and wasting exists as a major public health problem. Poor wealth status and age of the child were main determinant of stunting. Independent husband and wife decision power on money were the only predictors of wasting. Hence, improving socio-economic status is essential to lessen the high burden of stunting. Moreover, create awareness on increasing joint (husband and wife) decision making on household asset is vital to alleviate the prevalence of wasting.
