Peer-reviewed article
Child stunting and associated risk factors in selected food-insecure areas in Rwanda: an analytical cross-sectional study
François Niragire, Celestin Ndikumana, Marie Gaudence Nyirahabimana, Cyprien Mugemangango ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined child stunting and its risk factors in four food-insecure districts in Rwanda using data from 2019/2020. The stunting rate in these districts was 30 percent, slightly lower than the national average despite high poverty. The research found that birth weight above 2.5 kg, higher household economic status, urban residence, and health insurance coverage were protective factors, while children over one year old and those in female-headed households had higher stunting risk.
Key points
- Stunting rate in the four study districts was 30%, three percent lower than Rwanda's national average
- Birth weight of at least 2.5 kg reduced stunting odds by 61% (AOR = 0.393)
- Health insurance coverage reduced stunting odds by 58% (AOR = 0.418), suggesting improved healthcare access is a key protective factor
- Urban residence reduced stunting odds by 53% (AOR = 0.467)
- Children aged one year and above had at least three times greater odds of stunting compared to those under 12 months
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study analysing existing survey data, which cannot establish causal relationships or determine direction of effect. The findings are specific to four districts and may not generalise to other food-insecure areas in Rwanda or beyond.
Abstract
Introduction: stunting rates among the under-five children are generally high in Rwanda. They are unexpectedly lower than the national average stunting rate in some districts where poverty rates are the highest in the country. This study aimed to ascertain the key factors that protect children from stunting in these poorest areas, where stunting rates are lower than expected. Methods: we analysed cross-sectional data from 2019/2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) for 477 under-five children from Karongi, Rulindo, Nyanza, and Gisagara districts. Univariate and bivariate statistical analyses were used to find out the factors to retain for multivariable analysis. We obtained the key risk factors of child stunting through a multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. Results: the child stunting rate in the study districts was 30 percent, which is three percent lower than the national average rate. Child stunting was negatively associated with a birth weight of at least 2.5 kg (AOR = 0.393, 95% CI: 0.180 - 0.856), a high household economic status (AOR = 0.506, 95%CI: 0.273 - 0.937), urban residence (AOR = 0.467; 95% CI: 0.222 - 0.984), and health insurance coverage (AOR = 0.418; 95% CI: 0.228 -0.767). Children aged one year and above, as well as female-headed households, were associated with at least three times and two times greater odds of child stunting than children aged below 12 months and those from male-headed households respectively. Conclusion: the nutritional performance of children in the study districts is substantially driven by the high uptake of health insurance, which fosters increased access to healthcare services. To address child-stunting gaps in low-income areas in Rwanda, child nutrition programs should improve the utilization of healthcare services, and leverage the potential high effect of nutrition education, especially during pregnancy and lactation.