Table 2 Frequency and percentage distribution of study characteristics

Age of child

 < 6 months

521

10.52

6–23 months

1469

29.66

24–59 months

2962

59.82

Birth order

1st child

1060

21.41

2nd or 3rd child

1599

32.29

4th or above

2293

46.30

Type of birth

Singleton

4844

97.82

Multiple

108

2.18

Educational level of the mother

Secondary education and above

546

11.02

Primary education

1752

35.39

No formal education

2654

53.59

Age of the mother in years

15–24

1134

22.90

25–34

2674

54.00

35–49

1144

23.10

Religion of the mother

Orthodox

1697

34.28

Protestant

1362

27.50

Muslim

1796

36.27

Others

97

1.95

Current marital status of the mother

Married

4755

96.02

Single

18

0.36

Divorced

121

2.45

Widowed

58

1.17

Place of delivery

Home

2,518

50.89

Health facility

2,429

49.11

Parity

Primi parity

788

15.92

Multi party

1,785

36.08

Grand multi parity

2,375

48.00

Number of under five children in the household

1 child

1960

39.59

2 children

2301

46.47

3–5 children

690

13.94

Number of household members

1–4 family members

1,422

28.74

5–9 family members

3,172.2926

64.12

 ≥ 10 family members

353.152023

7.14

Wealth index of the household

Richest

918

18.53

Rich

874

17.64

Middle

930

18.79

Poor

1093

22.07

Poorest

1137

22.96

Source of drinking water

Improved

3160

63.80

Unimproved

1792

53.59

Type of toilet facility

Improved

786

15.88

Unimproved

4166

84.12

Community women literacy

Illiterate

2,430

49.11

Literate

2,518

50.89

Community poverty level

Low

2,741

55.40

High

2,207

44.60

Administrative region of Ethiopia

Urban based

164

3.31

Agriculture based

4295

86.74

Pastoralist

493

 9.95