Alebachew Ferede

The 2024 Lesotho DHS dataset was utilized to perform a multilevel mixed-effects analysis. The DHS is a community-based, cross-sectional survey conducted every five years, aimed at producing health and health-related indicators for low- and middle-income countries. It employs a two-stage stratified cluster sampling design, where enumeration areas serve as the first stage, and a sample of households is drawn from each enumeration area in the second stage.

Mozambique is located in southeastern Africa, bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east and sharing land borders with Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Eswatini. The country has a population exceeding 30 million, with a significant youth demographic [24]. Classified as a low-income country, a large portion of its population lives below the poverty line. As of 2023, the Gross Domestic Product GDP per capita was reported at $608 United States Dollar USD [31].

We conducted a secondary analysis of standard demographic and survey datasets spanning from 2010 to 2022 to assess the prevalence and determinants of wasting among children under 5 years old in Africa. Among the 37 African countries with available datasets during specified survey years. The list of countries included in the study is depicted on the map in Fig. 1.