Determinants of underweight among 6–59 months old children in Berahle, Afar, North East Ethiopia: a case control study 2016

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify determinants of underweight among 6–59 months old children in Berahle Woreda, Afar, North East Ethiopia, in 2016. RESULT: The median age (IQR) of cases and controls were 24 (34) and 18 (23) months respectively and 51.6% of the children were not exclusively breast-fed but 64.8% controls were exclusively breastfed. Age group of 48–59 months (AOR = 11.93; 95% CI 3.88–36.67), illiterate mothers (AOR = 2.32; 95% CI 1.19–4.55), low dietary diversity (AOR = 4.57; 95% CI 2.40–8.69), diarrhea in the past of 2 weeks (AOR = 2.93; 95% CI 1.46–5.85), birth interval (AOR = 5.17; 95% CI 2.37–11.26) and unprotected source of water (AOR = 2.62; 95% CI 1.42–4.85) were determinant factors of underweight.