A total of 355 respondents enrolled in the study with a response rate of 100%. The mean age and standard deviation of the respondents were (28.55±6.53) years (age ranged from 16 to 49 years). Out of the total respondents, about three-fourth(74.4%) lived in a rural area, 194 (54.6%) were Muslim followers, 310 (83.3%) were housewife,most of them (98.0%) were married.Three-fourth (75.5%) of the respondentswere literate (who were able to read and write). The family wealth of lactating mothers was assessed and the result showed that 137 (38.6%)of them hada low wealth index.Near to 3/4th(74.4%)of the mother had children less than one years of age.(1).
Table 1
Socio-demographic characteristics of the lactating mothers in Dodota district, Arsi, Oromia region, Ethiopia, 2021
Variables (n=355)
|
Frequency
|
Percentage (%)
|
Age in years
|
16-25 years
|
132
|
37.2
|
26-35 years
|
168
|
47.3
|
>=36 years
|
53
|
14.9
|
Mean±SD
|
28.55±6.53
|
|
Place of Residence
|
Urban
|
91
|
25.6
|
Rural
|
264
|
74.4
|
Religion
|
Orthodox
|
137
|
38.6
|
Muslim
|
194
|
54.6
|
Protestant
|
24
|
6.8
|
Marital Status
|
Married
|
348
|
98.0
|
Divorced
|
3
|
0.8
|
Separated
|
3
|
0.8
|
Widowed
|
1
|
0.3
|
Education (Mother)
|
Unable to read and write
|
87
|
24.5
|
Primary education
|
179
|
50.4
|
Secondary and above
|
89
|
27
|
Occupation (Mother)
|
House wife
|
310
|
83.3
|
Merchant
|
45
|
12.7
|
No. of Family members
|
< 5
|
173
|
48.7
|
>= 5
|
182
|
51.3
|
Wealth Index
|
Low
|
137
|
38.6
|
Medium
|
92
|
25.9
|
High
|
126
|
35.5
|
Education (father)
|
Unable to read and write
|
57
|
16.1
|
Primary education
|
161
|
45.4
|
Secondary and above
|
137
|
38.6
|
Occupation (father)
|
Farmer
|
259
|
73.0
|
Merchant
|
51
|
14.4
|
Government employee
|
31
|
8.7
|
Others
|
7
|
2.0
|
Age of child
|
< 5 Months
|
128
|
36.1
|
6-11 months
|
136
|
38.3
|
>=12months
|
91
|
25.6
|
Dietary patterns
Most (92.1%) of lactating mothers recalled that they consumed all starchy staples such as white potatoes, or any other foods made from roots or tubers, bread, kita, porridge, injera, spaghetti, kolo, rice, biscuits, or any other foods made from maize, millet, wheat, teff, barley, oat, and sorghum one day before the day of data collection. However, only 20(5.6%) of lactating mothers stated that they consumed any organ meat such as liver, kidney, heart, or other organ meats or blood-based foods, 76 (21.4%)of them consumed any eggs, andone-third (33.2%) of them consumed all dairy products such as milk or other milk products, cheese, yogurt one day before the day of data collection. Sixty-three(17.7%) of the respondents were restricted from specific food during lactation. Fourty-two (11.8%) of them were food insecured(Table 2).
Table 2
Twenty-four (24) hours dietary diversity consumption pattern of lactating mothers in Dodota district, Arsi, Oromia region, Ethiopia, 2021
|
Food groups
|
Categories
|
Frequency
|
Percentage (%)
|
Starch staples
|
Adequate intake
|
327
|
92.1
|
Low intake
|
28
|
7.9
|
Legumes & Nuts
|
Adequate intake
|
235
|
66.2
|
Low intake
|
120
|
33.8
|
Dairy
|
Adequate intake
|
118
|
33.2
|
Low intake
|
237
|
66.8
|
Organ Meat
|
Adequate intake
|
20
|
5.6
|
Low intake
|
335
|
94.4
|
Eggs
|
Adequate intake
|
76
|
21.4
|
Low intake
|
279
|
78.6
|
Flesh Foods
|
Adequate intake
|
76
|
21.4
|
Low intake
|
279
|
78.6
|
Vitamin-A rich foods
|
Adequate intake
|
187
|
52.7
|
Low intake
|
168
|
47.3
|
Other fruits and vegetables
|
Adequate intake
|
149
|
85.4
|
Low intake
|
206
|
14.6
|
Other Vitamin-A
|
Adequate intake
|
303
|
85.4
|
Low intake
|
52
|
14.6
|
Food Security
|
Food secured
|
313
|
88.2
|
Food Insecure
|
42
|
11.8
|
Number of meals per day
|
1
|
10
|
2.8
|
2
|
41
|
11.5
|
3
|
234
|
65.9
|
4
|
62
|
17.5
|
5
|
8
|
2.3
|
Food taboo dusring lactation
|
Yes
|
63
|
17.7
|
No
|
292
|
82.3
|
Maternal health service utilization related factors
Three hundred six (86.2%) of the study participants reported that they had attended Antenatal Care during their pregnancy of the last childand 101(28.5%) of them visited four and more times health facility for the ANC service. About one-third(33.0%) of them had two and fewer years of birth intervals for their last pregnancy while 238 (67.0%) had three and more year’s intervals.
Two hundred forty-five (69%) of them attended Postnatal Care. Regarding place of delivery, 240 (67.6) gave birth at a health institution. Most of the lactating mothers (91.3.0%) hadfive and fewer pregnancies. Almost half (51.0%) of the mothers got their first pregnancy when they were less than 20 years old while only 6.0% of them got their first pregnancy when they are above 25 years old. Eighty five (23.9%) of lactating mothers mentioned that they experienced illness in the past two weeks.Sixty-eight (19.2%) of them not received nutrition education, while 247 (86.1%) of them got information from health workers(Table 3).
Table 5.3
Healthcare practices of lactating mothers in Dodota district, Arsi, Oromia region, Ethiopia, 2021
|
Variables (n=355)
|
Frequency
|
Percentage (%)
|
ANC visit
|
Yes
|
306
|
86.2
|
No
|
49
|
13.8
|
No. of ANC visit
|
4 times and above
|
101
|
28.5
|
3 times
|
113
|
31.8
|
2 and less times
|
141
|
39.7
|
Place of Delivery
|
Home
|
115
|
32.4
|
Health Facility
|
240
|
67.6
|
PNC for current child
|
Yes
|
245
|
69.0
|
No
|
110
|
31.0
|
Birth interval (in Year)
|
<= 2
|
117
|
33
|
>=3
|
238
|
67
|
Illness in the past 2 weeks
|
Yes
|
85
|
23.9
|
No
|
270
|
76.1
|
No. of Pregnancy
|
1-5
|
324
|
91.3
|
>= 6
|
31
|
8.7
|
Age at first pregnancy (years)
|
15-19
|
181
|
51.0
|
20-24
|
153
|
43.0
|
>= 25
|
21
|
6.0
|
Nutrition Education
|
Yes
|
287
|
80.8
|
No
|
68
|
19.2
|
Nutrition information source
|
Health workers
|
247
|
86.1
|
Media
others
|
28
12
|
9.8
4.1
|
5.4. Hygiene and sanitation related factors
Regarding the availability of latrines, 28 (7.9%) had no access toa toilet facility. Twenty-two (6.2%) of them not used to wash their hands after toilet use. Similarly, 15 (4.2%) of lactating mothers not wash their hands before preparing food and before eating. Eighty-three (23.4%) of the lactating mothers not use potable water for drinking and about 240 (67.6%) respondents were disposing of household waste in the open field (Figure 5.1).
5.5. Prevalence of Underweight among Lactating Mothers
The prevalence of underweight was 14.1%(95%CI:10.7, 18.0).The mean weight, height, and BMI were 54.82 ±7.70, 1.61 ±6.87, and 21.09 ± 2.62respectively(Table 5.4).
Table 5.4
Anthropometric measurement of lactating mothers in Dodota district, Arsi, Oromia region, Ethiopia, 2021
BMI, kg/m2
|
Classification of BMI
|
Frequency
|
Percentage (%)
|
< 18.5
|
Underweight
|
50
|
14.1
|
>= 18.5
|
Not Underweight
|
305
|
85.9
|
Parameter
|
Mean (+SD)
|
Weight (kg)
|
54.82+7.70
|
Height (m)
|
1.61+6.87
|
BMI (Body Mass Index)(kg/m2)
|
|
Factors associated with lactating mother’s nutritional status
The binary logistic analyses revealed that age of the mothers, total number of pregnancies, age at first pregnancy, the residence of the mothers, the birth interval between current and previous child, wealth index, dietary pattern had a P-Value of <0.25. After tested for the effects of multicollinearity, model fitnesstest andadjusted for the confounders; residence, food taboos, and wealth indexes of the mothers persisted as significant determinants of underweight among lactating mothers in the study area. Hence, mothers who live in the rural areas had higher (AOR=2.5 [95% CI: (1.06, 6.30) odds of being underweight as compared to those who live in the urban. Besides, the odds of being underweight was higher for mothers who practice food taboos (AOR= 2.3, [95% CI: (1.05, 5.08) compared to their counterparts. On the other hand, mothers who were in the lower wealth index category were more than 2 times (AOR= 2.1[95% CI: (1.00, 4.46) to be underweight compared to those mothers who were in the highest wealth index (Table5).
Table 5.5
Factors associated with nu--tritional status on bivariate logistic regression analysis among lactating mothers in Dodota district, Arsi, Oromia region, Ethiopia, 2021
Variables
|
Nutritional Status
|
COR(95% CI for exp(B)
|
AOR(95% C.I. for EXP(B)
|
Underweight
n(%)
|
Normal
n(%)
|
Residence
|
Urban
|
7(14.0)
|
84(27.5)
|
1
|
1
|
Rural
|
43(86.0)
|
221(72.5)
|
2.3(1.011,5.394)
|
2.5(1.061, 6.302)*
|
Birth interval
|
< 2 years
|
10(20.0)
|
107(35.1)
|
1
|
1
|
>= 2 Years
|
40(80.0)
|
198(64.9)
|
2.1(1.040,4.493)
|
1.7(.818,3.728)
|
Food taboos
|
Yes
|
14(28.0)
|
49(16.1)
|
2.0(1.020,4.046)
|
2.3(1.045,5.084)*
|
No
|
36(72.0)
|
256(83.9)
|
1
|
1
|
Wealth index
|
Lower
|
27(54.0)
|
110(36.1)
|
2.1(1.047,4.348)
|
2.1(1.003, 4.460)*
|
Medium
|
10(20.0)
|
82(26.9)
|
1.0(.443,2.535)
|
1.06(0.421,2.676)
|
Higher
|
13(26.0)
|
113(37.0)
|
1
|
1
|
Dietary diversity
|
Inadequate
|
16(32.0)
|
68(22.3)
|
1.6(.854, 3.150)
|
1.5(.808, 3.132)
|
Adequate
|
34(68.0)(
|
237(77.7)
|
1
|
1
|
History of ANC
|
No
|
9(18.0)
|
40(13.1)
|
0.6(.311,1.522)
|
0.7(.270,1.869)
|
Yes
|
41(82.0)
|
265(86.9)
|
1
|
1
|
PNC
|
No
|
16(32.0)
|
94(30.8)
|
0.9(.498,1.799)
|
1.1(.535,2.471)
|
Yes
|
34(68.0)
|
211(69.2)
|
1
|
1
|
Experience illness
|
Yes
|
11(22.0)
|
74(24.3)
|
0.8(.429,1.806)
|
0.6(.292,1.657)
|
No
|
39(78.0)
|
231(75.7)
|
1
|
1
|