Table 5 Multivariable multilevel logistic regression analysis of factors associated with childhood underweight among children aged 0–23 months in Ethiopia, EMDHS 2019.

From: Determinants of undernutrition among young children in Ethiopia

Characteristics

Null model (Model 0)

Individual level model (Model 1), AOR (95% CI)

Community level model (Model 2), AOR (95% CI)

Full model (Model 3), AOR (95% CI)

Child related factors

Sex

Male

 

Ref

 

Ref

Female

 

0.64 (0.49–0.83)*

 

0.64 (0.49–0.83)*

Age (months)

 < 6

 

Ref

 

Ref

6–11

 

1.78 (1.18–2.70)*

 

1.74 (1.15–2.63)*

12–17

 

2.19 (1.44–3.34)**

 

2.13 (1.40–3.24)**

18–23

 

4.19 (2.65–6.64)**

 

4.08 (2.58–6.44)**

Number of under-five children

1

 

Ref

 

Ref

2+

 

0.86 (0.64–1.17)

 

0.89 (0.66–1.20)

Vitamin A in last 6 months

Yes

 

Ref

 

Ref

No

 

1.10 (0.81–1.48)

 

1.09 (0.81–1.47)

Currently breastfeeding

Yes

 

Ref

 

Ref

No

 

1.13 (0.76–1.67)

 

1.15 (0.78–1.71)

Minimum meal frequency

Yes

 

Ref

 

Ref

No

 

1.40 (1.02–1.94)*

 

1.36 (0.99–1.88)

Minimum dietary diversity

Yes

 

Ref

 

Ref

No

 

1.46 (0.85–2.52)

 

1.49 (0.87–2.55)

Maternal factors

Age (years)

 < 20

 

Ref

 

Ref

20–34

 

0.71 (0.44–1.13)

 

0.70 (0.44–1.12)

35–49

 

0.75 (0.43–1.32)

 

0.72 (0.41–1.28)

Educational level

No education

 

1.22 (0.89–1.66)

 

1.28 (0.94–1.76)

Primary and above

 

Ref

 

Ref

ANC visit

Yes

 

0.91 (0.65–1.27)

 

0.90 (0.64–1.26)

No

 

Ref

 

Ref

Place of delivery

Home

 

1.16 (0.83–1.62)

 

1.19 (0.85–1.67)

Health facility

 

Ref

 

Ref

Household-level factors

Household size

1–4

 

Ref

 

Ref

5+

 

1.18 (0.86–1.63)

 

1.16 (0.84–1.59)

Wealth index

Poorest

 

1.95 (1.08–3.51)*

 

2.28 (1.14–4.54)*

Poorer

 

2.17 (1.25–3.77)*

 

2.42 (1.26–4.63)*

Middle

 

1.57 (0.89–2.74)

 

1.72 (0.89–3.32)

Richer

 

1.55 (0.91–2.68)

 

1.72 (0.93–3.18)

Richest

 

Ref

 

Ref

Toilet facility

Improved

 

Ref

 

Ref

Unimproved

 

0.81 (0.52–1.26)

 

0.76 (0.48–1.20)

Open defecation

 

1.06 (0.66–1.70)

 

1.05 (0.65–1.68)

Source of drinking water

Improved

 

Ref

 

Ref

Unimproved

 

0.94 (0.65–1.37)

 

0.98 (0.68–1.41)

Surface water

 

1.04 (0.70–1.54)

 

1.07 (0.73–1.57)

Community-level factors

Residence

Urban

  

Ref

Ref

Rural

  

1.26 (0.85–1.85)

0.60 (0.36–1.01)

Region

City administration

  

0.53 (0.33–0.82)*

0.57 (0.35–0.93)*

Pastoralist

  

1.08 (0.74–1.57)

0.75 (0.48–1.16)

Agrarian

  

Ref

Ref

Random effect

Community-level variance (SE)

0.5049 (0.0093)

0.3971 (0.0119)

0.4588 (0.0094)

0.3330 (0.0125)

ICC (%)

13.30

10.77

12.23

9.19

MOR

1.96

1.81

1.90

1.73

PCV (%)

Ref

21.35

9.11

34.04

Model fit statistics

LL

 − 935.70

 − 818.23

 − 927.47

 − 813.99

DIC(-2Log-likelihood)

1,871.40

1,636.46

1,854.94

1,627.98

AIC

1875.41

1686.456

1864.937

1683.986

BIC

1886.66

1825.051

1893.067

1839.212

  1. **p-value < 0.001; *p-value < 0.05; SE Standard Error; ICC Intra-class Correlation Coefficient; MOR Median Odds Ratio; PCV Proportional Change in Variance; AIC Akaike’s Information Criterion; BIC Bayesian information Criteria; DIC Deviance Information Criterion; LL Log-likelihood.