Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
Feleke Milikias, Yohannes Chanyalew, Alemshet Aschalew, Sisay Sinamo and Asrat Dibaba
World Vision Ethiopia, Ethiopia
World Vision International, East Africa Region
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nutr Food Sci
Statement of the problem: Under-nutrition has been one of the main health problems in Ethiopia. The poor nutritional status
in children and women is a consequence of multiple factors. These are due to factors related to inadequate nutrient intake
and illness as well as underlying conditions, which are in turn shaped by factors related to economic, social and governance
conditions. World Vision Ethiopia has been working in Jeju and Melka Belo Woredas for decades in implementing various
emergency relief and development projects. However, the districts faced concurrent malnutrition problems over the past
years and often classified as hotspot priority 1 or 2. Therefore, the present study was designed to identify the root causes of
malnutrition so as to draw relevant conclusion and recommendation having a local causal model of malnutrition in these two
Woredas.
Objective: To assess the magnitude of acute and chronic malnutrition in children 6-59 months and to identify the contributing
factors affecting nutritional status as well as generate evidence-based response plan to address determinants of under-nutrition.
Methodology & Theoretical orientation: Nutrition causal analysis (NCA) methods employed using quantitative and
qualitative data collection. The quantitative NCA household questionnaire was used to collect information on key risk factors.
Standardized monitoring and assessment of relief and transition methodology (SMART) used for cluster selection and
anthropometry data entry and analysis. A total of 640 households were included. In addition, 20 key informant interviews and
13 focused group discussion as well as secondary data and literature reviews were performed.
Result: The result of the SMART study showed that the assessed areas presented a high prevalence of malnutrition. The
prevalence of global acute malnutrition (GAM) was estimated at 16.4% (95% C.I: 11.6- 22.7%) for all the study area (Jeju and
Melka Bello), with SAM 4.1 % (1.8 - 9.0 95% C.I.). The prevalence of stunting was 33.2% (29.3 - 37.3 95% C.I). In regarding
with the predisposing factors for under-nutrition, 54.8% of mothers expressed and disposed colostrum thinking that not good
for the child. More than 77.5% of children introduced complementary feeding late and 42.5% of mothers reported that they
reduced the frequency of breastfeeding during illness. The mean dietary diversity score found to be 4.9 out of the 12 food
groups in 24 hours preceding the survey. More than 94% of children never consumed meat and meat products. Similarly,
the consumption of vegetables and fruits were among the least, 30% and 23.4%, respectively. More than 35% of participants�??
drinking water from unprotected sources and 62.5% reported that they did not treat the water. About 56% of the surveyed
households reported that they had farmland size less than 1 hectare.
Conclusion & Significance: In the current study, the factors that are significantly related with wasting and stunting are
economic and care factors such as farm land size, source of food through own production and livestock ownership and
feeding of colostrum and complementary feeding and access to clean water and sanitation facilities which need to be given due
attention to define priorities for action.
E-mail: felmilk@gmail.com