Abstract:
Background: Acute malnutrition is a severe public health issue caused by poor nutrition over a short period of time & or illness, and particularly one of the main health problems facing children under five years of age in developing countries like Ethiopia. In Ethiopia a 7 % of children under five are wasted and 1 % is severely wasted. It is related with an increased risk of child morbidity and poor diet or a lack of food the diet does the children they consume. Therefore, this study tried to show the determinants of a cute malnutrition in Holeta Town, in order to design an intervention for prevention and treatment of acute malnutrition in children.
Objectives: The main aim of this study was to identify determinants of acute malnutrition among 6-59 months children in Holeta town, Oromia region, Ethiopia, 2024.
Methods and materials: A community based unmatched case-control study was conducted on 234 study participants (78 cases and 156 controls) at Holeta Town. Data were collected from March 15 to April 15, 2024. Cases and controls were chosen using a systematic random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data and standardized anthropometric measurement equipment’s were used to assess the nutritional status and identify cases and controls. Data were entered in to Epi info version 7.2.6.0 and exported to (SPSS) version 26 for further analysis. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentages, and graph was used to describe the factors of acute malnutrition. A binary logistic regression was fitted and used to identify the determinants of acute malnutrition and statistical significance was declared at P<0.05.
Result: A total of 78 cases and 156 controls were included in the study. Family size five and above (AOR=2.12, 95%CI: 1.01-4.47), Not completed immunization (AOR=7.34, 95%CI: 2.49–21.71), breast feeding for less than 24 months (AOR=7.71, 95%CI: 2.44–24.3), inadequate dietary diversity (AOR=2.8(95% CI 1.32-5.94), Birth interval less than 24 months (AOR=3.25, 95%CI: 1.56-6.79), diarrhea two weeks before the survey(AOR=2.12, 95%CI: 1.11–4.06), and not taking sick children to health facility within 24 hours (AOR=5.76(95% CI: 2.62-12.67) were determinants of acute malnutrition.
Conclusion: This study identified family size five and above, not completed Immunization, breast feeding for less than 24 months, inadequate dietary diversity, Birth interval less than 24 months, diarrhea two weeks before the survey and not taking sick children to health facility within 24 hours were determinants of acute malnutrition among children aged 6–59 months. Due emphasis should be given to strengthening family planning program, ensuring Immunization status, increasing knowledge and practices of mothers regarding breast feeding for greater than 24 months, Birth interval greater than 24 months and consume adequate dietary diversity, on prevention of diarrheal disease, and taking sick children to health facility within 24 hours of any sickness is crucial to address child acute malnutrition
