Table 1 Independent variables description and frequency distribution

Sex of child

Male (1)

2576 (51.2)

Female (2)

2451 (48.8)

Age of child

0–5 (0)

548 (10.9)

6–11 (1)

489 (9.7)

12–23 (2)

957 (19.0)

24–35 (3)

1028 (20.4)

36–47 (4)

9975 (19.4)

48–59 (5)

1030 (20.5)

Birth Order

1st (0)

1048 (20.8)

2–3 (1)

1692 (33.7)

4–5 (2)

1151 (22.9)

6 and more (3)

1136 (22.6)

Multiple birth

Single birth (0)

4918 (97.8)

1st of multiple (1)

61 (1.2)

2nd of multiple (2)

48 (1.0)

Residence

Urban (1)

1157 (23.0)

Rural (2)

3870 (77.0)

Region

Tigray (1)

429 (8.5)

Afar (2)

561 (11.2)

Amhara (3)

459 (9.1)

Oromia (4)

638 (12.7)

Somali (5)

532 (10.6)

Benishangul (6)

452 (9.0)

SNNPR (7)

591 (11.8)

Gambela (8)

381 (7.6)

Harari (9)

380 (7.6)

Addis Ababa (10)

257 (5.1)

Dire Dawa (11)

347 (6.9)

Source of drinking water

unimproved source (0)

2042 (40.6)

Improved source (1)

2986 (59.4)

Number of children under-five years in the household

1 (0)

1854 (36.9)

2 (1)

2301 (45.8)

3 or more (2)

872 (17.3)

Husband/partner’s education level

No education (0)

2766 (55.0)

Primary (1)

1569 (31.2)

Secondary and above (2)

692 (13.8)

Age of mothers at first birth

<  20 (0)

3185 (63.4)

20–34 (1)

1827 (36.3)

35–49 (2)

15 (0.3)

Mother’s current marital status

Married (1)

4745 (94.4)

Widowed (2)

140 (2.8)

Divorced (3)

142 (2.8)

Number of living children

1–4

3350 (66.6)

5–9

1618 (32.2)

10 and more

59 (1.2)

Place of delivery

Home (1)

2481 (49.4)

Health sector (2)

2546 (50.6)

Breastfeeding

yes (1)

3134 (62.3)

no (0)

1409 (28.0)

Missing

484 (9.6)

Religion

Orthodox (1)

1461 (29.1)

Protestant (2)

934 (18.6)

Muslim (3)

2532 (50.4)

Others (4)

100 (2.0)

Household size

1–4 (small) (0)

1368 (27.2)

5–9 (medium) (1)

3300 (65.6)

10 and more (Large) (2)

359 (7.1)

Household wealth index

Poorest (0)

1681 (33.4)

Poorer (1)

883 (17.6)

Middle (2)

706 (14.0)

Richer (3)

654 (13.0)

Richest (4)

1103 (21.9)