Maternal nutrition practices and its implications for child growth and development in Jimma Town a community based cross sectional study

Abstract Maternal nutrition is crucial for optimal child growth and development, reducing pregnancy complications like low birth weight and premature birth. Adequate nutrition during pregnancy and breastfeeding helps prevent nutrient deficiencies with long-lasting effects. However, poor maternal nutrition can lead to adverse child growth outcomes, such as intrauterine growth restriction and developmental issues. The main objective of this study was to investigate the factors influencing maternal nutrition practices and its implication for child growth and development in the communities of Jimma Town. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2024 among 423 mothers. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by trained data collectors to gather detailed information on socio-demographic characteristics, maternal health, nutrition, and child growth and development. The multivariate analysis was conducted to control the confounding influence using variables that were eligible for multivariable logistic regression analysis and had a p-value of less than 0.25. In the multivariable logistic regression, factors with p