Dietary Diversity among Children Aged 6-23 Months in Bangladesh: Determinants and Inequalities

Abstract

Inadequate dietary intake is one of the causes of childhood undernutrition and associated morbidity and mortality in many low and middle-income countries, including Bangladesh. The study aims to identify the prevalence, associated factors, and socio-economic inequalities in minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency, and minimum acceptable diet among 6-23 month-children in Bangladesh. This study uses data from the latest round of the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2017-18. Descriptive analyses have been conducted to report frequencies and percentages of the socio-demographic and economic characteristics of 6-23 months aged children. Bivariate and multiple logistic models are used to identify the predictors of each dietary indicator. In addition, we estimate concentration indices and use Wagstaff-based decomposition analysis to identify socio-economic inequalities in dietary diversity and their contributing factors. The study finds the prevalence of minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency, and minimum acceptable diet as 38%, 81%, and 36%, respectively. Education of mothers is a significant predictor of all three dietary indicators. In addition, household wealth status and administrative division are significant predictors of minimum dietary diversity and minimum acceptable diet. Children of working mothers are found to have higher odds of having minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet compared to their counterparts. We find concentration indices for minimum dietary diversity as 0.21 (p<0.001), for minimum meal frequency as 0.08 (p<0.05), and for minimum acceptable diet as 0.19 (p<0.001). Wealth status of household, mother’s and father’s education levels, and exposure to mass media are the major contributing factors to these inequalities. Therefore, policymakers and other stakeholders need to give prior attention to enhancing household wealth status, empowering women, and awareness-raising initiatives to improve the feeding practices of children in Bangladesh.