Determinants of stunting and wasting among street children in Northwest Ethiopia: A community-based study

Abstract Objective This study was aimed to identify determinant factors of stunting and wasting among street children aged 5–18 years in Northwest Ethiopia. Method and Material A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed. An interviewer-administered, structured, and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect the data. A convenience sampling technique was used to recruit participants. Stunting and wasting were defined as having of Height–for–Age and Weight–for–Height of Z–score Result The overall prevalence of stunting and wasting was 46.4% [95% CI: 41.6–51.5%] and 15.3 % [95% CI: 11.7–19.0%] respectively. Age [AOR=0.18, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.47], substance use [AOR=2.07, 95% CI: 1.33, 3.21] and loss of appetite [AOR=2.00, 95% CI: 1.31, 3.04] were independently associated with stunting. Whereas, age [AOR= 0.49, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.89], illness [AOR=2.38, 95% CI: 1.27, 4.48] and open defecation [AOR=2.27, 95%CI: 1.14, 4.51] were factors associated with wasting. Conclusion Stunting and wasting were critical problems among street children. Age, loss of appetite, and substance use were significantly associated with stunting, whereas child age, illness, and open defecation practice were significantly associated with wasting. Thus, tailored nutritional interventions are urgently required among this population to improve their nutritional status.