title: Undernutrition status and associated factors in under-5 children, in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status and associated factors in children <5 y in the Medebay Zana District, northern Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Medebay Zana District from September 8 to 29, 2013. A two-stage cluster-sampling technique was used to select 605 children age <5 y. Descriptive, binary, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of this study demonstrated that the level of stunting was 56.6%, underweight 45.3%, and wasting 34.6%. Stunting was predicted by having mothers who attended high school (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09-0.85), living in a household where providing priority food was given to the father (AOR, 4.32; 95% CI, 2.10-9.05), and water was taken from unprotected sources (AOR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.09-4.14). In all children, initiation of breast-feeding within 1 to 3 h after birth (AOR, 4.06; 95% CI, 1.77-9.33), having mothers who could make financial decisions (AOR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.02-0.51), and being breast-fed for 12 to 23 mo (AOR, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01-0.40) were predictors of wasting. Moreover, in girls (AOR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.25, 2.69), initiation of breast-feeding 6 h after birth (AOR, 12.94; 95% CI, 4.04-41.49) and having mothers who could make financial decisions (AOR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.15-0.74) were predictors of being underweight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The undernutrition status among children <5 y was high. Children's age group, time initiation of breast-feeding, child's sex, source of water, parents' educational status, type of food used for starting of complementary feeding, and mothers' financial decision-making ability could have an influence in undernutrition of children in this age group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia. Electronic address: Mossalex75@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mussie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alemayehu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Dr. Tewolde College of Health Sciences, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Fitiwi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tinsae
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Kiday
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haileslassie
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Oumer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Seid
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Dr. Tewolde College of Health Sciences, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Gebremedhin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gebregziabher
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Henock
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yebyo
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004777:Environment; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D009035:Mothers; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013851:Thinness / Q000209:etiology; D019282:Wasting Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Ethiopia; Medabay Zana; Stunting; Tigray; Undernutrition; Underweight; Wasting