Multilevel bivariate analysis of the association between high-risk fertility behaviors of birth and stunting with associated risk factors in Ethiopia.

Introduction: Currently, the linkage between high-risk fertility behavior of birth and the occurrence of stunting among children under the age of 5 continues to be a significant public health problem in developing countries, including Ethiopia. This issue poses a threat to the health and overall wellbeing of under-five children. Thus, the main objective of this study was to examine the association between high-risk fertility behavior of birth and the stunting status of children and associated factors.

Methods: The data used for this study were extracted from the recent Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey data in 2019. A total weighted sample of 4,969 under-five children was included in this study, and the relevant data were extracted from those samples. The multilevel bivariate analysis was used to assess the association between high-risk fertility behavior of birth and the stunting status of under-five children in Ethiopia.

Results: It was found that, out of 4,997 under-five children, 24% of under-five children experienced stunting as a result of high-risk fertility behavior of birth. Our study also revealed an intra-class correlation of 0.2, indicating that 20% of the variability in both high-risk fertility behaviors of birth and stunting can be attributed to differences between communities. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant association between high-risk fertility behavior of birth and the stunting status of children under the age of 5 years [AOR = 8.5, 95% CI: (5.58, 18.70)]. Similarly, the stunting status of birth among boys was 1.36 times greater than the estimated odds of the stunting status of birth among girls [AOR = 1.36, 95% CI: (1.19, 1.55)].

Conclusion: This study found that there was a significant statistical association between high-risk fertility behavior of birth and stunting status of under-five children. Specifically, children born to mothers under 18 years and in households with high parity were identified as the main risk factors for child stunting. Furthermore, health-related education, improved access to maternal healthcare, and training interventions were associated with high-risk fertility behavior during birth and child stunting. The study suggests that regular health assessments and early interventions for infants born to mothers with high-risk reproductive characteristics are crucial to reducing the impact of child stunting under 5 years of age.