Abstract: Stunting remains a major public health challenge in Rwanda, with long-term implications for child growth, development, and survival. Despite national progress in reducing malnutrition, Ngororero District continues to experience disproportionately high levels of stunting among children under five years of age, posing a significant barrier to achieving both national and global nutrition targets. Although national surveys provide evidence on the overall burden of stunting, there is limited understanding of district-level determinants, underscoring the need for localized analyses to inform context-specific interventions. This study therefore aimed to examine child, maternal, and household factors associated with stunting among children aged 6–59 months in Ngororero District. A retrospective cross-sectional analytical study design was employed using secondary data from the 2019–2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS). A total of 120 children aged 6–59 months residing in Ngororero District were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23, and logistic regression was applied to identify factors associated with stunting. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.The prevalence of stunting was found to be 50.0%, indicating a considerably high burden relative to national averages. Child age was the only factor significantly associated with stunting, with children aged 36–47 months being six times more likely to be stunted compared to those aged 48–59 months (aOR = 6.01; 95% CI: 1.02–35.23; p = 0.04). The findings confirm that stunting in Ngororero District remains alarmingly high, with preschool-aged children representing a particularly vulnerable group. Targeted interventions to strengthen complementary feeding practices, improve dietary diversity, and promote maternal education are urgently needed.
Keywords: public health challenge, child growth, global nutrition targets. improve dietary diversity, promote maternal education.
Title: FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH STUNTING AMONG 6-59 MONTHS OLD CHILDREN IN NGORORERO DISTRICT, RWANDA: SECONDARY DATA ANALYSIS OF RWANDA DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH SURVEY 2019-2020
Author: NKURUNZIZA Theophila, AMANUEL Kidane Andegiogish
International Journal of Healthcare Sciences
ISSN 2348-5728 (Online)
Vol. 13, Issue 2, October 2025 - March 2026
Page No: 308-316
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 17-November-2025
