Table 2. Bi-and multivariate analysis of stunting among women (15–49 years) in SLDHS-2019.
| Variables | Stunted (n = 113) (n, %) | Not stunted (n = 7,401) (n, %) | Unadjusted COR | 95% CI | p-value | aOR | 95% CI | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age groups (years) | ||||||||
| 20–29 | 33(1.3) | 2495(98.7) | Reference | Reference | ||||
| 15–19 | 35(2.2) | 1582(97.8) | 0.597 | 0.370–0.965 | 0.035 | 0.815 | 0.437–1.520 | 0.419 |
| 30–39 | 32(1.6) | 2016(98.4) | 0.833 | 0.511–1.360 | 0.465 | 0.936 | 0.533–1.644 | 0.520 |
| 40–49 | 13(1.0) | 1309(99.0) | 1.332 | 0.699–2.539 | 0.384 | 1.559 | 0.741–3.277 | 0.818 |
| Parity | ||||||||
| Never gave birth | 38(2.0) | 1857(98.0) | Reference | Reference | ||||
| One to four | 52(1.3) | (3840(98.7) | 1.511 | 0.991–2.304 | 0.055 | 1.489 | 0.792–2.801 | 0.216 |
| Five and above | 23(1.3) | 1704(98.7) | 1.516 | 0.900–2.555 | 0.118 | 1.524 | 0.659–3.524 | 0.324 |
| Residence | ||||||||
| Rural | 80(1.8) | 4342(98.2) | Reference | Reference | ||||
| Urban | 33(1.1) | 3059(98.9) | 1.708 | 1.136–2.569 | 0.010 | 1.257 | 0.614–2.572 | 0.531 |
| Sex of the household head | ||||||||
| Male | 76(1.4) | 5280(98.6) | Reference | |||||
| Female | 37(1.7) | 2121(98.3) | 0.825 | 0.555–1.226 | 0.342 | |||
| Household size | ||||||||
| Six and above | 59(1.3) | 4460(98.7) | Reference | Reference | ||||
| Less than six | 54(1.8) | 2941(98.2) | 0.72 | 0.497–1.045 | 0.084 | 0.761 | 0.518–1.112 | 0.166 |
| Work status | ||||||||
| Not working | 33(1.4) | 2247(98.6) | Reference | |||||
| Works | 80(1.5) | 5154(98.5) | 0.946 | 0.946–1.424 | 0.791 | |||
| Marital status | ||||||||
| Not married | 48(1.8) | 2671(98.2) | Reference | Reference | ||||
| Married | 65(1.4) | 4730(98.6) | 1.308 | 0.898–1.905 | 0.162 | 1.303 | 0.763–2.224 | 0.333 |
| Region of residence | ||||||||
| East | 24(1.5) | 1555(98.5) | Reference | Reference | ||||
| North | 25(1.4) | 1797(98.6) | 1.109 | 0.631–1.950 | 0.718 | 1.167 | 0.656–2.074 | 0.600 |
| Northwest | 8(0.8) | 1018(99.2) | 1.964 | 0.879–4.389 | 0.100 | 1.908 | 0.846–4.302 | 0.119 |
| South | 43(2.3) | 1788(97.7) | 0.642 | 0.388–1.062 | 0.085 | 0.695 | 0.415–1.162 | 0.165 |
| Western | 13(1.0) | 1243(99.0) | 1.476 | 0.748–2.910 | 0.261 | 0.821 | 0.368–1.831 | 0.630 |
| Level of education | ||||||||
| Secondary | 32(1.2) | 2609(98.8) | Reference | Reference | ||||
| No formal education | 56(1.6) | 3515(98.4) | 0.770 | 0.497–1.192 | 0.241 | 0.624 | 0.351–1.107 | 0.107 |
| Primary | 25(2.5) | 992(97.5) | 0.487 | 0.287–0.825 | 0.008 | 0.531 | 0.300–0.938 | 0.029 |
| Higher | 0(0.0) | 285(100.0) | 19814180 | 0 | 0.994 | 12203543 | 0 | 0.994 |
| Wealth Indices | ||||||||
| Middle | 17(1.1) | 1514(98.9) | Reference | Reference | ||||
| Poorest | 41(2.7) | 1492(97.3) | 0.409 | 0.231–0.722 | 0.002 | 0.485 | 0.268–0.880 | 0.017 |
| Poorer | 21(1.5) | 1407(98.5) | 0.752 | 0.395–1.432 | 0.386 | 0.778 | 0.404–1.497 | 0.452 |
| Richer | 24(1.5) | 1610(98.5) | 0.753 | 0.403–1.408 | 0.374 | 0.654 | 0.302–1.417 | 0.282 |
| Richest | 10(0.7) | 1378(99.3) | 1.547 | 0.706–3.391 | 0.275 | 1.068 | 0.377–3.026 | 0.902 |
| Watching television | ||||||||
| No | 96(1.7) | 5529(98.3) | Reference | Reference | ||||
| Yes | 17(0.9) | 1872(99.1) | 1.912 | 1.139–3.211 | 0.014 | 1.385 | 0.744–2.578 | 0.304 |
| Listens to radio | ||||||||
| No | 74(1.7) | 4298(98.3) | Reference | Reference | ||||
| Yes | 39(1.2) | 3103(98.8) | 1.37 | 0.927–2.204 | 0.114 | 0.902 | 0.585–1.392 | 0.642 |
| Reading of magazines | ||||||||
| No | 108(1.5) | 6917(98.5) | Reference | |||||
| Yes | 5(1.0) | 484(99.0) | 1.511 | 0.614–3.722 | 0.369 | |||
| Smokes cigarettes | ||||||||
| No | 109(1.5) | 7181(98.5) | Reference | |||||
| Yes | 4(1.8) | 220(98.2) | 0.835 | 0.305–2.285 | 0.725 | |||
| Alcohol use | ||||||||
| No | 45(1.5) | 3036(98.5) | Reference | |||||
| Yes | 8(1.2) | 659(98.8) | 1.221 | 0.573–2.602 | 0.605 |
aOR: adjusted Odds Ratio; CI: Confidence Interval; COR: Crude Odds Ratio; SLDHS: Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey.
In Table 2, the correlates of stunting among Sierra Leone women of reproductive age were less likely among women of primary level of education, aOR = 0.53,95%CI:0.30–0.94;p = 0.029 and those in the poorest wealth index aOR = 0.49,95%CI:0.27–0.88; p = 0.017.