Food insecurity and its predictors among lactating mothers in North Shoa Zone, Central Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study

Lemma Getacher; Gudina Egata; Yared Asmare Aynalem; Abebaw Molla; Adane Tesfaye; Haimanot Abebe; Wubet Alebachew Bayih; Samuel Derbie Habtegiorgis

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040627

Food insecurity and its predictors among lactating mothers in North Shoa Zone, Central Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study

BMJ Open. 2020 Nov 20;10(11):e040627. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040627.

Authors

Lemma Getacher¹, Gudina Egata², Yared Asmare Aynalem³, Abebaw Molla⁴, Adane Tesfaye⁵, Haimanot Abebe⁶, Wubet Alebachew Bayih⁷, Samuel Derbie Habtegiorgis⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Institute of Medicine and Health Sciences, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia lemmagetacher@gmail.com.
² School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
³ Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Institute of Medicine and Health Sciences, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia.
⁴ Department of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Institute of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan, Ethiopia.
⁵ Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia.
⁶ Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wolkite University, Wolkite, Ethiopia.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics and Neonatal Nursing, College of Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia.
⁸ Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) and its predictors among lactating mothers in Ataye District, North Shoa Zone, Central Ethiopia.

Design: A community-based cross-sectional study design was used.

Setting: Two urban and four rural randomly selected kebeles of the Ataye District in Ethiopia.

Participants: Out of 635 participants, 612 lactating mothers aged 15-49 years participated from February to April 2018. Mothers who lived for at least 6 months and above in the district were included, and mothers who were not able to respond to an interview were excluded. A single lactating mother per household was included. Lactating mothers in the households were selected using a cluster sampling technique. The number of lactating mothers found in each kebele was taken from family folder documentation.

Primary outcome: The prevalence and predictors of food insecurity.

Results: The prevalence of FI among lactating mothers was 36.8%. No formal education (adjusted OR (AOR) =1.82, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.92), no income-generating activities (AOR=3.39, 95% CI 2.05 to 5.64), no home gardening practice (AOR=5.65, 95% CI 3.51 to 9.08), alcohol use by husbands (AOR=2.02, 95% CI 1.25 to 3.24), low minimum dietary diversity score (AOR=2.94, 95% CI 1.88 to 4.57), less than three frequencies of meals (AOR=3.97, 95% CI 1.65 to 9.54) and three meals only per day (AOR=1.86, 95% CI 1.08 to 3.17) were significant predictors of FI of mothers.

Conclusion: The prevalence of FI was high in the study area. No formal education, no income-generating activities, no home gardening practice, alcohol use by husbands, low minimum dietary diversity score, fewer than three frequencies of meals and three meals only per day were independent predictors of FI. Therefore, increasing home gardening, decreasing alcohol intake, increasing dietary diversity and performing income-generating activities are highly recommended to reduce FI.

Keywords: nutrition; nutrition & dietetics; nutritional support; public health.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Ethiopia / epidemiology
Female
Food Insecurity
Humans
Lactation*
Male
Middle Aged
Mothers*
Public Health
Young Adult