Nutrient consumption and associated factors among school age children in Dewa Chefe District, northeast Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Background Inadequate nutrient consumption causes protein energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies and related consequences, including poor physical growth and intellectual development. However, literatures showing quantitative measurement of dietary intake of children are limited in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study investigated nutrient consumption and associated factors among school age children (7–9 years) in Dewa Cheffe District, northeast of Ethiopia. Methods A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from November to December, 2015 in Dewa Cheffe District. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 605 study subjects. Pre-tested and structured questionnaire was used to collect data. A 24-h dietary recall with portion size estimation method was used to assess nutrient consumption of school age children. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was fitted to identify factors associated with inadequate energy intake. adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval was computed to show the strength of association. In multivariable analysis, a P value of