title: Association between Maternal and Child Nutritional Status in Hula, Rural Southern Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Maternal and child under nutrition is highly prevalent in low-income and middle-income countries, resulting in substantial increases in mortality and overall disease burden. The aim of this baseline survey was to determine the association between selected maternal characteristics, maternal nutritional status and children's nutritional status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A survey with a cross sectional design was conducted between September and October 2012 in Hula, Ethiopia. The study subjects were 197 mothers of children between the ages of 6 and 23 months. Weight and height (mothers) or recumbent length (children) were measured using calibrated, standardized techniques. Seven percent of children were below -2 weight for height Z score (WHZ), 11.5% were below -2 height for age Z score (HAZ) and 9.9% were below -2 weight for age Z score (WAZ). Maternal anthropometrics were associated with child nutritional status in the bivariate analysis. Maternal BMI (r = 0.16 P = 0.02) and educational status (r = 0.25 P = 0.001) were correlated with WHZ of children while maternal height (r = 0.2 P = 0.007) was correlated with HAZ of children. After multivariate analysis, children whose mothers had salary from employment had a better WHZ score (P = 0.001) and WAZ score (P<0.001). Both maternal BMI and maternal height were associated with WHZ (P = 0.04) and HAZ (P = 0.01) score of children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Having a mother with better nutritional status and salaried employment is a benefit for the nutritional status of the child. The interrelationship between maternal and child nutritional status stresses the value of improving maternal nutritional status as this should improve both maternal and child health outcomes. Therefore strategies to improve nutritional status of children should also include improving the nutritional status of the mother and empowering her financially.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Canaan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Negash
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Whiting
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
authors.forename: Carol J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.affiliation: Department of Population & Family Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Tefera
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Belachew
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Tewodros G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Hailemariam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009035:Mothers; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011203:Poverty; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population