Prevalence of stunting and its associated factors among children 24-59 months of age in Gondar Zuria District, Northwest Ethiopia

Q: How was stunting measured in the study?

Children were considered stunted if their height-for-age was more than two standard deviations below the WHO child growth standard median.

Q: Which factors showed significant association with stunting?

No gardening practice, a mother’s birth interval <24 months, and home delivery were significantly associated with stunting in multivariable logistic regression.

Sep 29, 2026

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Childhood stunting remains a serious barrier to human development, defined by height-for-age more than two standard deviations below the WHO median. In Ethiopia’s rural settings, morbidity and mortality linked to stunting are substantial, yet evidence on local associated factors is limited. This community-based cross-sectional study assessed stunting prevalence and associated factors among 24–59 month-old children in Gondar Zuria from January to February 2021. Multistage sampling selected 637 participants with a 96.4% response rate, using face-to-face caregiver interviews and logistic regression to identify significant correlates.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Methods

Study design and sampling

Data collection and analysis

Results

Discussion

Conclusion and recommendations

[www. nature.com/scientificreports](www. nature.com/scientificreports) OPEN Prevalence of stunting and its associated factors among children 24 to 59 months of age inGondar Zuria District, Northwest Ethiopia DesalegnAyenew1, Solomon Mekonnen Abebe1, Terefe Derso1, Manaye Kasahun2, Abere WoretawAzagew3, Yohannes Mulu Ferede3 & EsayasAlemshetTekletsadik4􀀍 Childhood stunting is one of the most serious problems affecting human development. Children are stunted if their height-for-age is more than two standard deviations below the median of the WHO child growth standard. As a child grows older, the risk of stunting increases due to the need for more advanced dietary requirements. In Ethiopia’s rural areas, the risk of morbidity and death from stunting remains significant, and little is known about it. As a result, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of stunting and its associated factors among 24–59 month-old children in Gondar Zuria district, Northwest Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Gondar Zuria rural district from January 2021 to February 2021. A multistage sampling technique was employed, and 637 study participants were selected using a simple random sampling method. A face-to-face interview administered questionnaire was used to collect data from mothers or caregivers during a house-to-house visit. The dietary diversity score (DDS) of the child was determined using the 24-hour recall method. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between the dependent and independent variables. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. A total of 637 children participated in the study, with a response rate of 96.4% . Nearly two-thirds (60.4%) [95% CI: 56.6–64.9%] of children were stunted. Participants who had no gardening practice [AOR= 1.37; 95% CI: 1.23–1.94], a mother’s birth interval < 24 months [AOR = 2.41; 95% CI: 1.31–5.89], and home delivery [AOR = 1.55; CI: 1.14–2.21] were significantly associated with stunting. In this study, a significantly higher proportion of respondents were stunted. As a result, the government should support improved home gardening techniques while raising awareness about the benefits of institutional delivery practices and birth intervals greater than two years. Keywords Stunting, Birth interval, Under-five, Gondar, Ethiopia Abbreviations AOR Adjusted Odds Ratio ANC Antenatal Care COR Crude Odds Ratio CI Confidence Interval PNC Postnatal Care SPSS Statistical Package for Social Science WHO World Health Organization If a child’s height-for-age is below two standard deviations below the WHO child growth standard median, they are considered stunted1,2. Worldwide, about 149.2 million children under five years old were stunted3. Over 30% of children under the age offive in poor nations were stunted, and under-nutrition was a contributing factor in 1Department of Human Nutrition, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. 2Department of Public Health, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dire Dawa University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. 3Department of Medical Nursing, School of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. 4Department of Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia. 􀀍 email: [esaalem2009@gmail.com](esaalem2009@gmail.com) [www. nature.com/scientificreports/](www. nature.com/scientificreports/) almost 45% of all under-five child fatalities3,4. About 37% of children under five were stunted (below − 2 SD), according to Ethiopia’s 2019 Mini Demographic and Health Survey (EMDHS)5. Furthermore, children in rural regions had a higher likelihood of stunting (41%) compared to those in urban areas (26%), as reported in6. Similarly, a child’s ris

FAQs

What study was conducted and where?

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Gondar Zuria rural district in Northwest Ethiopia.

How was stunting measured in the study?

Children were considered stunted if their height-for-age was more than two standard deviations below the WHO child growth standard median.

Which factors showed significant association with stunting?

No gardening practice, a mother’s birth interval <24 months, and home delivery were significantly associated with stunting in multivariable logistic regression.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Aria