Background:Stunting has been a major concern in sub-Saharan Africa. However, little
evidence exists on the spatiotemporal variations in under-five stunting
within a national context.Objective:This paper examines the spatiotemporal variations in under-five stunting and
determinants using data from the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys
(2000-2016).Methods:Spatial autocorrelation and multilevel logistic regression models were used
to conduct the analyses.Results:The stunting prevalence has decreased from 51% to 37%, while the prevalence
of severe stunting has decreased by more than half (from 28% to 12%). Wide
regional variations in stunting have been consistently observed over the
years, which exhibited a higher level of stunting in Tigray (48%), Afar
(42%), and Amhara (42%). The results show considerable local and regional
variations in under-five stunting levels with diverse patterns of
improvements in regional stunting levels over time. Stunting levels were
associated with child-level factors such as the sex of a child, birth size,
age of a child, birth order, preceding birth interval, and place of birth.
Maternal educational attainment, nutritional status, household wealth,
toilet facility type, and place of residence were linked to under-five
stunting. The regional-level infant mortality rate was associated with
under-five stunting.Conclusions:Specially tailored policies and interventions should be devised to address
persistent spatial inequalities in stunting by focusing on higher risk
populations.