AUTHOR=Toma Temesgen Mohammed , Andargie Kassahun Tamene , Alula Rahel Abera , Kebede Bahiru Mulatu , Temesgen Kidus , Guyo Tamirat Gezahegn 

TITLE=Underweight and Predictors Among Children Aged 6–59 Months in South Ethiopia

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 69 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2024.1606837

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2024.1606837

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Introduction: Underweight remains the primary public health concern among under-five-year-old children in Ethiopia, despite numerous government-implemented nutrition-specific and sensitive interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess underweight and associated factors among children in South Ethiopia.
Methods: Between March and April 2021, 717 children in the South Ari district who were between the ages of 6 and 59 months participated in a cross-sectional study. To choose households containing a minimum of one child aged 6 to 59 months, a multi-stage sampling procedure was used. To determine the factors associated with being underweight, a logistic regression analysis was built. At p-value <0.05, statistical significance was declared. 
Results: The prevalence of underweight was determined to be 29.7% (95% CI: 26.5%, 33.2%). Child age, food insecurity, sub-optimal child dietary diversity, birth interval, and common childhood illnesses were associated with being underweight.
Conclusions: Underweight among children is predicted by household food insecurity, suboptimal dietary diversity, and common childhood illnesses, necessitating further efforts to improve food security and manage common illnesses.