Table 5

Multilevel analysis result on the risk of stunting among under-5 children in sub-Sahara

VariablesModel IModel IIModel IIIModel IVModel VModel VI
OR (CrI)OR (CrI)OR (CrI)OR (CrI)OR (CrI)OR (CrI)
Regional polygyny prevalence (%)0.999 (0.994, 1.004)0.995 (0.991, 0.999)* 0.996 (0.992, 1.000)* 0.993 (0.988, 0.997)**0.992 (0.986, 0.998)**
Family structure
 Polygynous1.089 (1.038, 1.143)***1.088 (1.035, 1.143)***1.088 (1.037, 1.142)***1.085 (1.035, 1.137)***1.028 (0.933, 1.13)
 Cohabiting1.036 (0.992, 1.081)1.035 (0.990, 1.08)1.035 (0.992, 1.08)1.032 (0.987, 1.07)1.149 (1.057, 1.25)
 Single mother1.065 (1.019, 1.112)***1.063 (1.020, 1.109)**1.067 (1.022, 1.113)**1.063 (1.019, 1.109)**1.069 (0.997, 1.14)
 Household size1.006 (1.002, 1.011)**1.007 (1.003, 1.011)**1.007 (1.003, 1.011)**1.007 (1.003, 1.012)**1.007 (1.002, 1.012)**
Wealth index (poorer as ref)
 Average0.825 (0.796, 0.855)***0.826 (0.798, 0.854)***0.823*** (0.795, 0.852)***0.826 (0.797, 0.856)***0.825 (0.797, 0.854)***
 Richer0.495 (0.477, 0.515)***0.498 (0.479, 0.517)***0.495 (0.476, 0.514)***0.497 (0.479, 0.517)***0.497 (0.479, 0.516)***
 Religion (non-Muslim as ref)1.009 (0.955, 1.06)1.013 (0.958, 1.07)1.011 (0.959, 1.06)1.021 (0.966, 1.08)1.001 (0.950, 1.05)
 Mothers years of education0.997 (0.990, 1.00)0.997 (0.990, 1.00)0.997 (0.990, 1.00)0.996 (0.990, 1.00)0.997 (0.991, 1.00)
Maternal age at birth (20-–34 years as ref)
 <200.990 (0.935, 1.04)0.988 (0.932, 1.04)0.991 (0.934, 1.05)0.986 (0.932, 1.04)0.989 (0.935, 1.04)
 35+0.905 (0.867, 0.945)***0.908 (0.870, 0.947)***0.907 (0.868, 0.948)***0.908 (0.870, 0.947)***0.913 (0.874, 0.953)***
Preceding birth interval (1st born as ref)
 <24 months1.181 (1.126, 1.238)***1.183 (1.129, 1.240)***1.183 (1.129, 1.239)***1.180 (1.122, 1.241)***1.183 (1.129, 1.240)***
 24+ months0.887 (0.854, 0.922)***0.889 (0.854, 0.924)***0.889 (0.856, 0.924)***0.887 (0.850, 0.926)***0.889 (0.853, 0.926)***
 Sibship size0.995 (0.991, 0.999)* 0.995** (0.991, 0.999)**0.995 (0.991, 0.999)**0.995 (0.991, 0.999)**0.995 (0.991, 0.999)*
 Female kid0.792 (0.770, 0.814)***0.792*** (0.771, 0.813)***0.792 (0.772, 0.813)***0.791 (0.770, 0.813)***0.791 (0.770, 0.813)***
 Birth order1.029 (1.019, 1.039)***1.027*** (1.018, 1.037)***1.028 (1.018, 1.039)***1.027 (1.017, 1.038)***1.027 (1.017, 1.037)***
 Multibirth2.000 (1.862, 2.149)***2.004*** (1.874, 2.143)***2.002 (1.870, 2.145)***2.005 (1.873, 2.145)***1.998 (1.867, 2.137)***
 Rurality0.998 (0.996, 1.00)0.997 (0.994, 1.000)* 1.001 (0.999, 1.00)
 Access to electricity0.991*** (0.989, 0.994)***0.991 (0.988, 0.994)***0.996 (0.993, 0.999)**
 Gender-based inequality0.828*** (0.757, 0.905)***0.850 (0.781, 0.926)***0.845 (0.754, 0.948)**
Cross-level interaction terms
 Polygynous* regional % of polygyny1.002 (0.999, 1.00)
 Cohabiting* regional % of polygyny0.994 (0.989, 0.999)*
 Single mother* regional % of polygyny1.000 (0.996, 1.00)
Human Development Index (lowest as ref)
 Average HDI0.640 (0.523, 0.783)***
 High HDI0.729 (0.597, 0.891)**
 Study year1.039 (1.039, 1.039)**
 Regions—var(cons)1.43 (1.352, 1.515)***1.331 (1.265, 1.401)***1.295 (1.236, 1.358)***1.320 (1.255, 1.388)***1.291 (1.233, 1.351)***1.255 (1.203, 1.308)***
 VPC (%)24.2 (23.2, 25.2)22.4 (21.7, 23.2)21.9 (21.2, 22.7)22.3 (21.6, 22.6)21.9 (21.2, 22.6)21.9 (20.8, 22.0)
 Family—var(cons)1.186 (1.167, 1.205)***1.306 (1.276, 1.337)***1.305 (1.268, 1.343)***1.303 (1.270, 1.336)***1.310 (1.278, 1.343)***1.309 (1.274, 1.346)***
 VPC (%)44.3 (43.4, 45.3)44.5 (43.6, 45.4)44.1 (43.2, 45.1)44.4 (43.5, 45.8)44.1 (43.3, 45.0)44.1 (42.9, 44.7)

  • *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001.

  • CrI, credible interval; VPC, variance partition coefficient.