Association between exclusive breastfeeding and chronic child malnutrition in Ecuador: ENDI analysis 2023-2024
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Chronic child undernutrition remains a major public health issue in Ecuador, particularly among rural and vulnerable populations. Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) during the first six months of life has been identified as a key protective factor. This study aimed to analyze the association between EBF and chronic child undernutrition (CCU) in children under three years of age, using data from the National Child Undernutrition Survey (ENDI 2023–2024). A cross-sectional quantitative design was applied, based on a nationally representative sample. Descriptive analyses, Chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression were used to explore associations between variables. Results showed that 17.9% of children presented CCU, and only 47.3% received EBF. Although the bivariate analysis revealed an unexpected association, the multivariate analysis confirmed that EBF is significantly associated with a lower likelihood of CCU (OR: 0.845; p = 0.005). Male sex, older age, and rural residence were also identified as risk factors for CCU. These findings underscore the importance of promoting exclusive breastfeeding as a key strategy in addressing childhood undernutrition in Ecuador.
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