Malnutrition and Associated Factor among 6-59 Months Children in the Pastoralist Community of Dugde Dewa District, Borena Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in the pastoralist communities of Dugde Dewa district within five randomly selected kebeles. The study population was children from the selected 5 kebeles in the study site. A total sample of 818 children were involved in the study.. General information on the family characteristic of the child was collected through house to house visit and Anthropometric measurements (weight and height) was done for all children included in the study. Nutritional status of children and associated factors were assessed. Stunting was found to be highest form of malnutrition in which 292(35.8%) of them were stunted from this 159(19.5%) of them were severely stunted. From the total participants of 816 children 75(9.2%) of them were wasted. Regarding Weight for Age which is an indicator of Underweight, 95(11.6%) of them were underweighted and 32(3.2%) of them were severely underweight. Income was the variable that was found to have statistically significant association with all types of nutritional problems. Breast feeding status was the predictor for both stunting and wasting. Education status of mother, breast feeding, febrile disease and income were the determinants of stunting. According to this study, stunting accounts the highest number among all nutritional problems. This could be due to long term food insecurity, insufficient dietary intake, infections and poor feeding practice. So, governmental and nongovernmental organizations should have to work hard to tackle this problem and to bring solution.