Table 2 Factors associated with stunting and underweight among children under age 5, The Gambia DHS, 2019–2020 (n = 3279)

%

%

%

%

Age of mother

0.014

0.994

0.908

0.779

 15–24

83.0

17.0

89.2

10.8

 25–34

82.8

17.2

88.1

11.9

 35–49

82.8

17.2

87.7

12.3

Level of education of mother

0.185

0.729

 None

82.6

17.4

87.9

12.1

 Primary and above

83.1

16.9

88.5

11.5

Employment status of mother

2.723

0.264

0.046

0.893

 Not employed

81.7

18.3

88.1

11.9

 Employed

83.8

16.2

88.3

11.7

Place of residence

7.859

0.031*

5.441

0.051

 Urban

84.2

15.8

89.1

10.9

 Rural

80.5

19.5

86.5

13.5

Number of living children

10.272

0.020*

15.746

0.006*

 1 -2

84.2

15.8

89.7

10.3

 3–4

79.9

20.1

85.1

14.9

Age of mother at first sex in years

4.985

0.268

11.808

0.040*

 8–16

81.4

18.6

86

14

 17–24

84.1

15.9

89.7

10.3

 25–40

81

19

89.4

10.6

Age of mother at first birth in years

3.221

0.472

7.852

0.097

 12—19

81.8

18.2

86.8

13.2

 20–27

84.1

15.9

89.9

10.1

 28–48

83.1

16.9

87.6

12.4

Household wealth

23.845

0.002*

26.313

0.001*

 Poor

85.2

14.8

77.8

22.2

 Middle

86.1

13.9

81.6

18.4

 Rich

90.9

9

85.9

14.1

Mother has normal weight

1.858

0.336

0.02

0.92

 No

83.6

16.4

88

12

 Yes

81.7

18.3

87.8

12.2

Mother is thin

6.996

0.021*

28.0359

 < 0.001*

 No

83.2

16.8

88.8

11.2

 Yes

76.9

23.1

78

22

Mother is overweight or obese

8.6225

0.06

10.416

0.033*

 No

81

19

86.3

13.7

 Yes

85.1

14.9

90.2

9.8

Mother empowered to make decision

5.747

0.058

1.698

0.28

 No

94.2

5.8

92.5

7.5

 Yes

81.2

18.8

86.2

13.8

Mother accepts wife beating

24.811

0.001*

18.273

0.004*

 No

86.5

13.5

90.9

9.1

 Yes

80.1

19.9

86.3

13.7

Age of the child in years

7.855

0.026*

2.007

0.253

 0–2

81.5

18.5

88.8

11.2

 3 and above

85.2

14.8

87.2

12.8

Birth order of the child

11.64

0.042*

13.199

0.018*

 1–5

83.9

16.1

89.2

10.8

 6–10

78.7

21.3

84.4

15.6

 11 and above

87

13

90.6

9.4

Sex of the child

3.594

0.141

3.08

0.153

 Male

81.7

18.3

87.3

12.7

 Female

84.1

15.9

89.2

10.8

Husbands’ educational level

10.049

0.028*

11.497

0.015*

 None

81.3

18.7

86.6

13.4

 Primary and above

85.5

14.5

90.4

9.6

Husband’s employment status

1.029

0.472

3.038

0.192

 Not employed

86.3

13.7

93.3

6.7

 Employed

82.7

17.3

88

12