Food group consumption patterns among children meeting and not meeting WHO’s recommended dietary diversity: Evidence from 197,514 children in 59 countries

Abstract

The minimum dietary diversity (MDD) indicator as defined by the WHO is commonly used to assess micronutrient deficiency in young children. However, individual food item-specific consumption patterns may be overlooked when focusing solely on this indicator. We provide a comprehensive view on food item and food group consumption patterns of children aged 6–23 months old using DHS data from 59 low- and middle-income countries. Consumption levels of food items ranged from 79.0 % for breastfeeding to 5.9 % for organ meats, showing particularly low levels for protein rich food items. There were significant differences in food item consumption levels for different countries as well as household correlates’ relevance such as a household’s wealth decile and the child’s age group, hinting towards potential underlying mechanisms such as regional availability, household’s available resources and awareness of food group’s importance from early age. The results suggest that the analysis of MDD should be complemented with information on individual food item consumption to identify priorities for policy makers aiming to fight undernutrition across the globe..