Rural and Urban Correlates of Stunting Among Under-Five Children in Sierra Leone: A 2019 Nationwide Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: Undernutrition accounts for at least 50% of the annual global under-five mortality burden. Although disparities in the childhood stunting between urban and rural areas in Sierra Leone have been documented, information on factors associated with these differences is lacking. We aimed to determine rural-urban correlates of stunting among children under the age of 5 in Sierra Leone. Methods: We analyzed data from 2019 Sierra Leone demographic and health survey (SLDHS) focusing on under-five children. We conducted multivariable logistic regression to examine rural-urban factors associated with childhood stunting. Results: Prevalence of stunting was 31.6% (95% CI 29.8-33.2) in rural areas and 24.0% (95% CI 21.6-26.1) in urban areas. Within the rural areas, children of stunted mothers (aOR = 2.37; 95% CI 1.07-5.24, P