Teferi Haimanot, Teshome Tesfalem
Department of Medical Laboratory, Addis Ababa City Administration Health Bureau, Bole Dil-frie Health Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Department of Public Health St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Pediatric Health Med Ther. 2021 Mar 19;12:141-150. doi: 10.2147/PHMT.S289809. eCollection 2021.
Children without parental care are at high risk for under-nutrition. Ethiopia counts as one of the largest populations of orphans in the world. However, there is no information about the nutritional status of children in Ethiopian orphanage centers. Thus, we aimed to assess magnitude and associated factors of undernutrition among children aged 6-59 months in Ethiopian orphanage centres.
Institution-based descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 227 children aged 6-59 months in selected orphanage centers of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from July to August 2019. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Interviewer administered structured pretested questionnaire, document review and anthropometric measurements were used to collect the data. Epi info version 7.2.1.0 and SPSS version 23.0 were used for data entry and analysis respectively. Anthropometric indices were generated using the WHO Anthro software version 3.2.2. A cut-off point below -2 standard deviation used to determine under-nutrition (stunting, underweight, and wasting). All variables with p-value < 0.25 in the bivariable analysis were considered for further multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. The level of statistical significance was declared at a p-value <0.05.
The prevalence of wasting, underweight, and stunting were 4.4%, 12.3%, and 34.8%, respectively. Being a double orphaned child [AOR= 2.9 (1.201, 7.167)] and lack of vitamin A supplement in the last six months (AOR=1.9 (1.049, 3.799) were significant predictors of stunting and illness in the last two weeks before the survey [AOR= 4.9 (1.345, 1.865)] was a significant predictor of wasting.
The prevalence of stunting was high when compared with WHO's classification. Being a double orphaned, lack of vitamin A supplement, and illness in the last two weeks were associated with undernutrition. Therefore, intensified efforts to increase rates of vitamin A supplementation and as well as other disease prevention measures should be strengthened by the orphanage administrators and the health authorities.
没有父母照料的儿童面临营养不良的高风险。埃塞俄比亚是世界上孤儿人口最多的国家之一。然而，关于埃塞俄比亚孤儿院中心儿童营养状况的信息却并不存在。因此，我们旨在评估埃塞俄比亚孤儿院中心6至59个月大儿童营养不良的严重程度及相关因素。
2019年7月至8月，在埃塞俄比亚亚的斯亚贝巴选定的孤儿院中心，对227名6至59个月大的儿童进行了基于机构的描述性和分析性横断面研究。采用简单随机抽样技术选取研究参与者。通过访谈员管理的结构化预测试问卷、文件审查和人体测量来收集数据。分别使用Epi info 7.2.1.0版和SPSS 23.0版进行数据录入和分析。使用WHO Anthro 3.2.2版软件生成人体测量指数。低于-2标准差的临界点用于确定营养不良（发育迟缓、体重不足和消瘦）。双变量分析中p值<0.25的所有变量都被纳入进一步的多变量二元逻辑回归分析。统计学显著性水平设定为p值<0.05。
消瘦、体重不足和发育迟缓的患病率分别为4.4%、12.3%和34.8%。成为双亲孤儿[AOR=2.9（1.201，7.167）]以及在过去六个月内未补充维生素A（AOR=1.9（1.049，3.799））是发育迟缓的显著预测因素，而在调查前两周内患病[AOR=4.9（1.345，1.865）]是消瘦的显著预测因素。
与世界卫生组织的分类相比，发育迟缓的患病率较高。成为双亲孤儿、缺乏维生素A补充以及在过去两周内患病与营养不良有关。因此，孤儿院管理人员和卫生当局应加大力度提高维生素A补充率以及加强其他疾病预防措施。
