Factors associated with stunting among children aged 6 up to 59 months attending two public hospitals baidoa Somalia 2021

Background: Stunting is one of the major causes of morbidity among under-five year children the factors associated with stunting is an important precondition for developing and strengthening nutritional intervention strategies. Objective; of this study as to contribute the reduction of the factors associated with Stunting among Children Aged 6 -59 Months Attending Two Public Hospitals Biadoa -Somalia. Methods: the study was health facility based case-control study was conducted among children of age 6 -59 months, Cases were stunted children while controls were not Stunted children A total of 64 cases and 64 controls were studied data were analyzed using SPSS 20 and ENA Software.

Results: Children with family size more than one child of under five years were more likely to be stunted than those family size of one child (OR: 3.958, 95% CI) and the p- value was 0.017. Children with Illiterate mothers were most likely to develop stunting than those educated mothers (OR: 5.875, 95 % CI) and the p-value was 0.014. Children who were exclusively breast fed for <6 months [AOR: 6.550, 95% CI: 0.00] were more likely to develop stunting than children who were exclusively breast fed for the first 6 months. Mothers who gave their children complementary ingredients contain a Cow’s milk were more likely stunted than those gave other ingredients (OR: 2.761, 95 % CI, P- value = 0.032). Mothers who less frequently visit antenatal clinic were most likely to be stunted of their child than those frequently visiting ANC clinic since (OR: 1.429, 95% CI, P-value = 0.03), Mothers delivered at home were more likely to develop stunting children than those born at health institutions (OR: 1.798, 95 % CI, P-value = 0.00), The children who did not receive any vaccine were associated with stunted than those who received vaccine of since (OR: 3.269, 95 % CI, P-value = 0.028). Children those family members used water point were most likely to stunted of their children than those family uses tap water since (OR: 2.491, 95 % CI, P-value = 0.032). children with in proper hygiene family and less wash their hands after using the toilet/latrine were strongly associated with stunted of the children proper hygiene family since (OR: 1.314, 95 % CI, P-value = 0.043).