PREVALENCE OF WASTING AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG CHILDREN AGED 6-23 MONTHS IN GAROWE, PUNTLAND, SOMALIA

Abstract

Wasting among children aged in 6-23 months is the most serious public health problems and owning to its associated risk for morbidity that affects child growth, brain development and can cause premature death of the children in the developing world including Somalia. This study is therefore designed to assess the prevalence of wasting and associated factors among children aged 6-23 months in Garowe, puntland Somalia. Objective: To determine the prevalence of wasting and associated factors among children aged 6-23 months in Garowe. Puntland, Somalia from June 05-15, 2021. Methods and materials: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted using pre tested questionnaire among 409 children aged 6-23 months. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select study participants. The collected data were entered and cleaned using EPIDATA 3.1 and then exported into statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 20 for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models were employed. Variables having p-value <0.05 were considered to be significantly associated with the dependent variable. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to show the presence, strength and direction of associations. Results: The Prevalence of wasting among children aged 6-23 months was 140(34.2%) of 49(12%), 91(22.2%) were severe and moderate wasting respectively Factors like occupation of father those who are daily labor{ AOR=3.1, 95 CI:(1.1, 8.7)}, time of initiation of complementary foods those child’s start before six months {AOR=8, 95% CI: (4.5, 14)}, time of breastfeeding initiation those children breastfeed some hours later after a birth {AOR=3.9, 95%CI:(1.8, 8.4)}, those children didn’t take immunization {AOR=2.9, 95%CI:(1.7, 5.2), non formal educational level of the mother {AOR=3.4, 95% CI:(1.6, 7.0)} and mothers who didn’t take ANC service during last pregnancy {AOR=5.3, 95%CI:(2.9, 9.5) were significantly associated with occurrence of wasting among children aged 6-23 months Conclusions: The prevalence of wasting among children aged 6-23 months in the study area was found to be 34.2%. This study emphasized the need to provide specific attention and intervention Early and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact between mothers and infants should be facilitated and encouraged as soon as possible after birth, Mothers who are illiterate and completed only primary school need more attention, all mothers should be supported to initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth, within the first hour after delivery, strengthening early childhood immunization to enhance level of nutrition in our community and building capacity of health extension workers and All mothers must be encouraged to make antenatal care follow up and birth preparedness