Water, hygiene and sanitation practices are associated with stunting among children of aged 24-59 months in Lemo district, South Ethiopia, in 2021 (original) (raw)

Background Stunting among children from 24 months to 59 months is a major public health challenge in developing countries like Ethiopia. It has been linked with poor water quality, lack of environmental sanitation, and personal hygiene (WASH) practices. However, complete understandings of risk factors (WASH) which contribute for stunting were not explored at the study area. Objective This stud aimed to assess the prevalence and factor associated with stunting among children aged 24-59 months in Lemo district, South Ethiopia, in 2021. Methods A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1-30/2011. Data were collected from 415 randomly selected child and mother /caregiver pairs/. A structured and interviewer-administered questionnaire and direct observations of anthropometric status generated WHO Anthropometric were used as means of data collection. Logistic regression analysis was conducted. Variables with p-value < 0.25 in the binary logistic regression model were tted into multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with stunting. Variables with AOR and 95% CI and P-value < 0.05 was computed and reported as nal risk factors of stunting in the study setting. Results From the total of 422 children, only 415 children were included in the nal analysis of this study making a response rate of 98.3%. The prevalence of stunting in the study area is 33.5% (95%CI, 30.4%-36.6%) in this study. Children whose age was from 48-59 months (AOR = 2.8, 95%CI, 2.1, 12.1), children whose age 36-47 months age (AOR = 1.6, 95%CI, 1.1, 7.1), children of uneducated women (AOR = 1.8, 95%CI, 1.5, 4.2), children who live in unimproved toilets (AOR = 1.7, 95%CI, 1.2,2.6), children whose feces was disposed unsafely (AOR = 2.8, 95%CI, 1.57, 5.31), children whose mothers did not wash their during feeding their children (AOR = 6.2, 95%CI, 6.2 (2.0, 19.1) were factors associated with stunting among children of 24 month to 59 months. Conclusion Stunting is still high in the study area. Policy makers, program managers and community health works should enhance environmental sanitation, awareness creation about personal hygiene and improved