Peer-reviewed article
Vitamin A supplementation uptake and its associated factors among Ethiopian children aged 6-59 months: community-based cross-sectional study.
Getahun Fentaw Mulaw, Fentaw Wassie Feleke, Seteamlak Adane Masresha, Biruk Beletew Abate, Fentaw Tadese Berhe et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how many Ethiopian children aged 6-59 months receive vitamin A supplements and what factors influence this. Less than half of children (45.6%) received vitamin A supplements in the six months before the survey, below Ethiopia's 80% target. Children whose mothers knew about vitamin A's importance, younger children, those living near health facilities, and those receiving routine vaccinations were more likely to be supplemented. The findings suggest improving maternal education and integrating vitamin A delivery into existing health services could increase coverage.
Key points
- 45.6% of children received vitamin A supplementation in the preceding six months, below the national 80% target
- Mothers' knowledge of vitamin A importance and schedule increased odds of child supplementation by 6.4 times
- Children aged 6-23 months were nearly 4 times more likely to receive supplementation than older children (24-59 months)
- Proximity to health facilities (within 30 minutes walk) increased supplementation odds by 1.9 times
- Children who received routine vaccinations and whose mothers attended postnatal care were more likely supplemented
Limitations
This cross-sectional study cannot establish cause and effect; it only identifies associations. The findings apply to North Wollo Zone in Ethiopia and may not represent other regions with different health infrastructure or demographic characteristics.
Abstract
Vitamin A deficiency remains a public health concern associated with childhood morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization recommends periodic high-dose vitamin A supplementation (VAS) for children at risk of deficiency. This study examined VAS uptake and its associated factors among children aged 6-59 months in North Wollo Zone, Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 616 mother-child pairs recruited using multistage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize frequencies and proportions. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with VAS uptake, with adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) used to measure the strength and statistical significance of associations. Overall, 45.6% of children (95% CI: 41.7-49.6) received VAS within the six months preceding the survey. The odds of VAS uptake were higher among children whose mothers had good knowledge of the importance and schedule of VAS (AOR = 6.39, 95% CI: 3.97, 10.30), and among children aged 6-23 months compared with those aged 24-59 months (AOR = 3.99, 95% CI: 2.61, 6.09). VAS uptake was also higher among children living within ≤ 30 minutes' walking distance of the nearest health facility (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.26, 2.94), children who had received routine vaccinations (AOR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.21, 4.22), and children whose mothers had attended postnatal care follow-up (AOR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.32, 3.80). VAS coverage remained below the national target of 80%, indicating a continued gap in child nutrition and micronutrient deficiency prevention. Efforts should focus on improving maternal knowledge of the importance and schedule of VAS, enhancing service accessibility, and integrating VAS counselling and delivery into postnatal care and routine childhood vaccination programs.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Vitamin A supplementation programs delivered through health facilities and postnatal care services
- Population
- 616 mother-child pairs in North Wollo Zone, Ethiopia, with children aged 6-59 months
Key finding
45.6% (95% CI: 41.7-49.6) of children received vitamin A supplementation within six months
Mulaw et al. · PubMed (US National Library of Medicine) · 3 Jul 2026