Prevalence and associated factors of under nutrition among under five children in Ambo town public Hospitals, Oromia, Ethiopia 2023

Under nutrition contributes to the deaths of around 3 million children globally and it is a combined consequence of poor dietary consumption and recurrent infectious illnesses, especially in Ethiopia. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality among children. This study aims to assess the prevalence and associated factors of under nutrition among under-five children in Central Ethiopia, 2023. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 20 to June 20, 2025, among 394 systematically selected under-five children and their mothers attending the outpatient departments of two purposefully selected hospitals. A structured questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were used to collect the data. Data were entered into epi-data and exported to the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS), version 26. Descriptive statistics were computed. P-values ≤ 0.25 in bivariable analysis were entered into multivariable regression, and those p-values ≤ 0.05 with a 95 % CI were declared as significantly associated factors. A total of 394 under-five children and their mothers participated in the study, yielding a 100 % response rate. The prevalence of wasting, stunting, and underweight were 21.3 % [95 % CI: (19.4–23.2)], 33 % [95 % CI: (30.8–35.2)], and 20.6 % [95 % CI: (19.1–22.1)], respectively. Meal frequency and family size were factors associated in wasting. Mother education, husband occupation and presence of diarrhea in the last 2 weeks were significantly associated with stunting and meal frequency, age at complimentary feeding and exclusive breast feeding, were associated factors of underweight. The prevalence of under nutrition was high in this study. Maternal education, husband occupation, diarrhea in the last two weeks prior to study, meal frequency, and age at complimentary were determinant factors of under nutrition. Therefore, improving meal frequency, maternal health awareness, and early childhood illness treatment will reduce under- five under nutrition.