Abstract
Appropriate complementary feeding Practice is essential in the first two years of life for satisfactory growth and development of children and for prevention of childhood illness. Insufficient quantities, frequency and inadequate quality of complementary foods have a detrimental effect on health and growth in this critical period. The aim of this study was to assess minimum dietary diversity and meal frequency practice and determinants among infant and young children age between 6 and 23 months in Shoa, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Institution-based cross-sectional study was carried out to select 200 mothers/caregivers with 6–23 months of children reside in Sheno health center from July 25 to August 25, 2017. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to gather information on socio-demographic, child feeding practices and health-related characteristics. Data were entered to Epi-Data version 3.02 and transported to SPSS version 21 for further analysis. Binary logistic regression was used to see the association between the outcome variables and explanatory variables, and multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of minimum acceptable diet. The study revealed that the percentage of 6–23 months of children who meet the recommended level of minimum dietary diversity and meal frequency were 45 and 33%, respectively. Proportion of children who received composite indictor minimum acceptable diet was only 13.3%. Mothers/caregivers who had postnatal care visit, having good knowledge about child feeding practice, getting media exposure and mothers who had growth monitoring follow up were positively associated with minimum acceptable diet. Even though the study showed better progress as compared to the national prevalence of complementary feeding practices, child feeding practices in the study area were inadequate and not achieving national and WHO infant and young child feeding recommendations. Strengthening the available strategies and creating new intervention measures to improve maternal and child health services and giving behavioral change communication on child feeding practice using local media are compulsory actions for the government and policymakers.
Highlights
Malnutrition is responsible, directly or indirectly, for over half of all childhood deaths
The town is found in North Shoa, Oromia Region, Ethipia and 76 km far away from Addis Ababa
The EDHS was conducted on culturally different population, which may inhibit child feeding practices
Summary
Malnutrition is responsible, directly or indirectly, for over half of all childhood deaths. Infants and young children are at increased risk of malnutrition from six months of age onwards, when breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet all nutritional requirements and complementary feeding needs to be started [1]. Complementary feeding is the process starting when breast milk can no longer sufficiently meet the required nutritional for infants, and introduction of other foods and liquids are needed, along with breast milk [2]. Complementary feeding generally begins at 6 months and goes up to 24 months of age, even though breastfeeding may continue beyond two years [2, 3]. The WHO has recommended tracking IYCF indicators on the introduction of soft, solid or semi-solid foods, minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency, and minimum acceptable diet during two years of age [7] Young Children Age 6-23 Months in North Shoa , Oromia Region, Ethiopia age] of the child’s life provide a critical window of opportunity to ensure survival, growth and development through optimum infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices [4] and inappropriate infant and young child feeding practices is significant threats to child health [5, 6].
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