Abstract
BackgroundInsufficient quantities, frequencies, and inadequate quality of complementary feedings have a negative effect on child health and growth, especially in the first two years of life. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the minimum dietary diversity, meal frequency and its associated factors among infants and young children aged 6–23 months at Dabat District, northwest, Ethiopia.MethodsA community- based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 15 to March 10, 2016. The simple random sampling method was used to select study participants. An interviewer- administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Both Crude and Adjusted Odds Ratio with the corresponding 95% confidence interval were calculated to show the strength of association. In the multivariable analysis, variables with less than 0.05 P-value were considered statistically significant.ResultsThe proportion of children who met the minimum dietary diversity and meal frequency were 17% (95% CI: 14.9, 19.4%) and 72.2% (95% CL: 69.3, 75%), respectively. Satisfactory media exposure (AOR = 2.79; 95% CI: 1.74, 4.47), postnatal care visits (AOR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.32, 2.88), participation in child growth and monitoring follow ups (AOR = 1.65; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.39), age of children (AOR = 2.34; 95% CI: 1.33, 4.11) and age of mothers (AOR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.09, 3.27) were positively associated with dietary diversity. Similarly, age of children (AOR = 2.38; 95% CI: 1.56, 3.65), household wealth status (AOR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.27, 2.68), residence (AOR = 3.02; 95% CI: 1.41, 6.48), sources of information (AOR = 1.72; 95% CI:1.14, 2.59) and participation in child growth monitoring folow ups (AOR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.13, 2.19) were significantly associated with meal frequency.ConclusionIn this study, the proportion of children who received the minimum dietary diversity and meal frequency were low. Media exposure, age of children, postnatal care visits, and participation in child growth and monitoring follow-ups were significantly associated with dietary diversity. Likewise, wealth status and residence had a significant association with meal frequency. Thus, encouraging all mothers to participate in child monthly growth monitoring programs, intensive media advertising and strengthening counseling of mothers, and postnatal care visit are highly recommended for achieving the recommended dietary practices.
Highlights
Insufficient quantities, frequencies, and inadequate quality of complementary feedings have a negative effect on child health and growth, especially in the first two years of life
As infants and young children are found in dynamic growth and development, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that solid, semisolid or soft foods should introduced at the age of six months [2,3,4], and that infants and young children should get the minimum meal frequency, dietary diversity, acceptable diet, and iron rich foods [5]
This study showed that two-thirds, 699 (67.6%), of the mothers attended four and above Antenatal Care (ANC) follow-ups and 393 (38%) of the mothers had Postnatal Care (PNC) visits
Summary
Insufficient quantities, frequencies, and inadequate quality of complementary feedings have a negative effect on child health and growth, especially in the first two years of life. As infants and young children are found in dynamic growth and development, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended that solid, semisolid or soft foods should introduced at the age of six months [2,3,4], and that infants and young children should get the minimum meal frequency, dietary diversity, acceptable diet, and iron rich foods [5]. Only 60% of infants start complementary feeding between the ages of 6 to 9 months. This indicates that millions of infants are given complementary foods either too early or too late [6]. That is why the level of stunting in most African countries increases threefold during the two years of life [8]
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