Differences in Factors Contributing to Child Undernutrition between Pastoral and Agro-pastoral Communities in Ethiopia

This cross-sectional study compared factors associated with childhood undernutrition in a pastoral community (PC) and an agro-pastoral community (APC) in Ethiopia. Results showed that APC had lower rates of child wasting and underweight, milder levels of food insecurity, and better environmental sanitation and handwashing practices than PC. In PC, stunting was associated with severe food insecurity (p = .049), while underweight was associated with unimproved sources of drinking water and inadequate practices of purifying drinking water (p < .001). Policies to improve environmental sanitation and food security seem to be protective against child undernutrition.