Roba Kedir Teji, O'Connor Thomas P, Belachew Tefera, O'Brien Nora M
School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health and Medical Science, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia.
School of Food and Nutritional Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
Pediatric Health Med Ther. 2016 Oct 31;7:131-140. doi: 10.2147/PHMT.S109574. eCollection 2016.
Child malnutrition during the first 1,000 days, commencing at conception, can have lifetime consequences. This study assesses the prevalence of anemia and undernutrition among children aged 6-23 months in midland and lowland agroecological zones of rural Ethiopia.
Cross-sectional data examining sociodemographic, anthropometry, hemoglobin levels, and meal frequency indicators were collected from 216 children aged 6-23 months and their mothers randomly selected from eight rural kebele (villages).
Of 216 children, 53.7% were anemic, and 39.8%, 26.9%, and 11.6% were stunted, underweight, and wasted, respectively. The prevalence of anemia was higher in the lowland agroecological zone (59.5%) than the midland (47.6%). Among those children who were stunted, underweight, and wasted, 63.5%, 66.7%, and 68.0% were anemic, respectively. Child anemia was significantly associated with the child not achieving minimum meal frequency, sickness during the last 2 weeks before the survey, stunting and low body mass index, and with maternal hemoglobin and handwashing behavior. The prevalence of stunting was higher in the lowland agroecological zone (42.3%) than the midland (36.2%). The predictors of stunting were age and sex of the child, not achieving MMF, maternal body mass index, and age. As maternal height increases, the length for age of the children increases (=0.003).
The overall prevalence of anemia and undernutrition among children aged 6-23 months in these study areas is very high. The prevalence was higher in the lowland agro-ecological zone. Health information strategies focusing on both maternal and children nutrition could be sensible approaches to minimize stunting and anemia.
从受孕开始的最初1000天内儿童营养不良可能会产生终生影响。本研究评估了埃塞俄比亚农村中部和低地农业生态区6至23个月儿童的贫血和营养不良患病率。
从八个农村社区（村庄）随机选取216名6至23个月的儿童及其母亲，收集有关社会人口统计学、人体测量学、血红蛋白水平和进餐频率指标的横断面数据。
在216名儿童中，53.7%患有贫血，39.8%、26.9%和11.6%分别发育迟缓、体重不足和消瘦。低地农业生态区的贫血患病率（59.5%）高于中部地区（47.6%）。在发育迟缓、体重不足和消瘦的儿童中，贫血患病率分别为63.5%、66.7%和68.0%。儿童贫血与未达到最低进餐频率、调查前最后两周生病、发育迟缓和低体重指数以及母亲血红蛋白和洗手行为显著相关。低地农业生态区的发育迟缓患病率（42.3%）高于中部地区（36.2%）。发育迟缓的预测因素是儿童的年龄和性别、未达到最低进餐频率、母亲体重指数和年龄。随着母亲身高的增加，儿童的年龄别身长也增加（=0.003）。
这些研究地区6至23个月儿童的贫血和营养不良总体患病率非常高。低地农业生态区的患病率更高。关注母婴营养的健康信息策略可能是减少发育迟缓和贫血的明智方法。
