Effects of Nutritional Status on Neurodevelopment of Children Aged Under Five Years in East Gojjam, Northwest Ethiopia, 2021: A Community-Based Study

INTRODUCTION: Scientific evidence regarding relationships between developmental status and nutritional status of children aged under five years old is scarce, particularly in Africa. Thus, the objective of the present study is to evaluate the relationships between nutritional status and developmental status among children aged under five in Gojjam, Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 390 child–mother pairs from December 1–30 2021. Developmental status, nutritional status and related data were collected using age and stage questionnaire 3rd edition (ASQ-3) and measurements of body dimensions and other physical characteristics. Body dimensions data was obtained by measurement of height and weight of children aged under five years. Logistic regression analysis was executed to identify factors related with poor child developmental status. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% CI was estimated to reveal the strength of association and statistical significance were declared at p-value less than 5%. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of developmental delay in the current study among under five years children was 22.6%. Moreover, in this study the prevalence of stunting, wasting and being underweight was 36.3%, 14.2% and 20.3%, respectively. Developmental delay among under-five children was significantly associated with experiencing repeated diseases during pregnancy (AOR: 2.43; 95% CI:1.38, 4.28), short birth interval (AOR: 2.78; 95% CI :1.52, 5.09), stunting (AOR: 2.61;95% CI: 1.41, 4.84), wasting (AOR: 3.68;95% CI: 1.61, 8.37) and being underweight (COR: 3.28;95% CI: 1.91, 5.63). CONCLUSION: The overall developmental delay prevalence among under-five children in the present study was 22.6%. The prevalence of stunting, wasting and being underweight was 36.3%, 14.2% and 20.3%, respectively. Maternal diseases, birth interval and nutritional status of children aged under five years were among the factors which revealed statistically significant associations with developmental delay of under-five children. We recommend the concerned body to work on improving maternal health status during pregnancy, to enable mothers to adequately space subsequent births, and to work on improving the nutritional status of women and children in the current study area in order to improve the developmental status of children aged under five.