Abstract:
Background: Stunting is an underlying cause of nearly half (45 %) of the deaths in children under 5 years of age worldwide and is associated with reduced immunity and impaired cognitive function of children leading to loss of future productivity, overall poor health outcomes and poor school performance. In 2020, an estimated 149 million children under the age of five were stunted globally. In Ethiopia, stunting among children is greater in rural areas (41%) than in urban areas (26%) with 15% differences between urban and rural resident children. Stunting among the poorest and the richest socioeconomic categories was 45.1% and 26.9%, respectively, with an 18% stunting gap between the richest and the poorest socioeconomic categories. According to 2019 EDHS, 37% of children under-five are stunted and the prevalence of stunting generally increases steadily with age (from 22% among children 6–8 months up to 44% of children 48–59 months).
Objective: To assess the prevalence of stunting and associated factors among 6–59-month aged children in Sekota declaration intervention districts and non-intervention districts, Central Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia
Methods: A comparative community based cross-sectional study was conducted from September 02 to October 02/ 2024, in Sekota declaration intervention districts and nonintervention districts, Central Gondar Zone, northwest Ethiopia. A total of 606 subjects were selected using the multi-stage sampling technique. Anthropometric related data were analyzed using the WHO Anthro software and wealth index data were generated by principal component analysis. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate factors associated with stunting and adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval.
Results: In this study, the overall combined prevalence of stunting was 38 % [95%CI; 34.25- 41.77%]. However, a lower stunting prevalence was observed among 6-59 months old children from intervention households [33.7%,95%CI; 28.31-39.09] than non-intervention households [42.3%, 95%CI; 35.54-49.06%]. According to the multivariable analysis, mothers with age group less than 20 years [AOR: 0.278; 95% CI: 0.078–0.956], mothers or caregivers who were unable to read and write [AOR: 3.037; 95% CI:1.070-9.162] and children who had eaten food less than three times daily [AOR:4.693; 95% CI: 1.793-12.285] were from intervention households. Mothers who were government employed [AOR: 6.407; 95% CI: 1.105-37.146],
children found in the age range of 24–35 months [AOR: 0.433; 95% CI: 0.191-.981) and child with respondents who had cattle [AOR: 0.581; 95% CI: 0.343-1.086] were from intervention households.
Conclusion:
The magnitude of stunting was lower among children aged 6-59 month residing on the Sekota declaration intervention program compared with children living in non-Sekota declaration intervention program districts. So, the government and multisectoral partnership should work jointly to improve nutritional program, environmental sanitation and hygienic practices and expanding Sekota declaration intervention programs to non-sekota declaration intervention districts to curb childhood stunting.
