Magnitude of under nutrition and associated factors among children in governmental kindergarten school in Sululta sub-city, Shaggar, Ethiopia

Background: Under nutrition is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children in the world, including Ethiopia. Preschool children are highly vulnerable to under nutrition due to nutritional requirements for growth and development. Despite various policies aimed at reducing child morbidity and mortality, under-nutrition rates among preschool children remain high. Therefore, the current study aimed at assessing magnitude of malnutrition and its associated factors in governmental kindergarten school. Methods: An institution-based cross sectional study was conducted among 444 preschool children aged 4 -7 years from March 9/2016 – April 7/2016. Participants were selected using a simple random sampling method, implemented through a lottery system. Pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Anthropometric measurements of children was conducted according to WHO’s recommendation. Height measurement was done against vertical wall with attached measuring tape. The children’s height were measured barefoot and recorded to the nearest 0.1cm. Weight of children was measured with light clothing and barefoot and recorded to the nearest 0.1 KG. After height and weight of child was measured, the Z- score values for WAZ, HAZ and WHZ of children were generated using WHO AnthroPlus 2009 program. The collected data were coded, entered, and cleaned by using Epi data 4.4.1 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. I employed binary logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with under- nutrition, utilizing SPSS version 25 for statistical computations. Results: Among preschool children, the prevalence rates were 19.1% for stunting, 4.1% for wasting, and 7.7% for underweight, indicating significant nutritional challenges. Stunting were significantly associated with incomplete immunization [AOR: 2.66(1.09, 6.43)], while being in the age range of 4-5 years [AOR: 4.05, 95% CI: (1.31, 12.59)] and mothers with no formal education [AOR: 2.88, 95% CI: (1.10, 7.55)] were independently associated with wasting. Reported diarrhea history in the last two weeks [AOR: 8.59, CI: (2.77, 26.69)] and mothers having no formal education [AOR: 2.77, CI: (1.34, 5.73)] were associated with underweight among preschool children. Conclusion: The magnitude of stunting, wasting and underweight in preschool children was relatively lower than the Ethiopian national prevalence. To effectively prevent under-nutrition, targeted interventions should focus on enhancing child immunization services, improving maternal education, and mitigating diarrhea incidence.