THE RELATION SHIP BETWEEN MATERNAL EMPLOYMENT AND STUNTING AMONG 6-59 MONTH OLD CHILDREN IN WOLKITE TOWN CENTERAL ETHIOIPIA (A COMPARATIVE CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Stunting refers to chronic nutrition deficiency failure to receive adequate nutrition over a long period. It is continues to be a major public health problem. Due to the intergenerational impact of chronic malnutrition, childhood stunting is correlated with the future maternal under nutrition and higher risk of death. Nevertheless, there is paucity of evidence on comparative study about stunting and its associated factors among employed and unemployed mothers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the relationship between maternal employment and stunting among 6-59 month children in Wolkite town, SNNPR, Ethiopia/2021METHODS: A community based comparative cross-sectional study design was applied. A total of 330 employed and 341 unemployed women (totally 671) were included in study. The data were collected by face to face interview by using pre-tested structured questionnaires. The data was coded edited, and entered into Epi data version 3.1 then exported to SPSS version 23.0 for analysis. Adjusted odds ratio with its 95% CI was used to note the association and to identify associated factors by using logistic regression model at 0.05 level of significant. RESULTS: In the study 330(94.6%) employed and 341(97.7%) unemployed women total response rate of 671(96%) having 6-59 month old children were participated. Prevalence of stunted among employed and unemployed mothers children were 21.2% (95% CI(17,25.5)and28.8%) (95% CI (23. 33.4 ) respectively The analysis of the study shown that, college and above[AOR=0.055, 95% CI: (0.013, 0.237), maternal age 35 years and above [AOR=0.076, 95% CI:(0.006, 0.904)], monthly family income >5000 birr [AOR=0.042, 95% CI:(0.014,0.129)] factorswere negatively associated to stunting among employed mothers, not having nutritional information 2.68 [95% CI (1.22, 5.9)], monthly family income less than 2,000 ETB was 2.64[95% CI (1.34, 5.19)] were positively and attended Primary school [AOR= 0.089, 95% CI:(0.02, 0.39)]were negatively associated to stunting among unemployed mothers. CONCLUSION: Maternal education, maternal age, family income and frequency of breastfeeding had a statistically significant association with stunting among children of employed mothers and frequency of breast feeding, nutritional information, maternal education and family income had a statistically significant association with stunting among children of unemployed mothers.