Care and not wealth is a predictor of wasting and stunting of ‘The Coffee Kids’ of Jimma Zone, southwest Ethiopia:

Background:The generation of cash from agricultural products is the mainstay of the livelihood of many households in developing countries. However, critics of cash cropping have highlighted its influence on dietary diversity and availability of food at the household level, eroding the potential for optimal child caring practices.Methods:A community-based cross-sectional survey was carried out in three randomly selected coffee-producing districts of Jimma Zone in southwest Ethiopia. The underlying causes of malnutrition, food access, hygiene and care were assessed using the household food insecurity access scale, morbidity reports and infant and young child feeding practice core indicators of the World Health Organization. Anthropometric data were converted into weight for age, height for age, body mass index for age and weight for height Z-scores to determine child nutritional outcomes.Results:Prevalence of underweight, wasting, stunting and thinness were 14.2%, 9.1%, 24.1% and 9.9%, respectively. Multiva...