Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 4, 2026
Author Spotlight: Implications of Non-Nutritive Sucking on Speech Emergence and Infant Development
Published on: April 19, 2024
Determinants of suboptimal complementary feeding practices among children aged 6-23 months in four anglophone West
Abukari I Issaka1, Kingsley E Agho2, Andrew N Page2
1School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
Insights
Improving infant complementary feeding practices in West Africa is crucial for child development. Key factors influencing these practices include maternal education, healthcare access, and socioeconomic status.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Nutrition Science
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Suboptimal complementary feeding practices negatively impact child growth and development in the critical first two years of life.
- Child malnutrition, exacerbated by poor feeding, contributes to high rates of stunting (38%) and underweight (28%) in Sub-Saharan African children under five.
- This study focuses on four anglophone West African nations: Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze complementary feeding practices among children aged 6-23 months in four West African countries.
- To identify individual, household, and community-level factors associated with suboptimal complementary feeding.
- To inform recommendations for improving child nutrition and reducing morbidity and mortality.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys for Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
- Included a total of 12,623 children aged 6-23 months.
- Employed multiple regression analysis to examine associations between four complementary feeding indicators and various determinants.
Main Results:
- Lack of post-natal care, maternal illiteracy, and region were common predictors of delayed introduction of solid foods.
- Younger children (6-11 months), specific regions, lower household income, and limited media access were associated with inadequate dietary diversity, meal frequency, and acceptable diet.
- Significant variations in predictors were observed across the studied countries.
Conclusions:
- Improving complementary feeding practices is a priority for Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone to reduce child illness and death.
- Interventions should specifically target children from impoverished and illiterate households.
- Addressing socioeconomic and educational disparities is essential for enhancing child nutrition outcomes.
Abstract:
Suboptimal complementary feeding practices have a detrimental impact on a child's growth, health and development in the first two years of life. They lead to child malnutrition, which contributes to the high prevalence of stunting (38%) and underweight (28%) reported for children <5 years of age in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study analysed complementary feeding practices in four anglophone West African countries (Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone) using the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys. The study covered 12 623 children aged 6-23 months from four anglophone West African countries (Ghana: 822 children: Liberia: 1458 children, Nigeria: 8786 children and Sierra Leone: 1557 children). Four complementary feeding indicators were examined against a set of individual-, household- and community-level factors, using multiple regression analysis. Multivariate analyses found that lack of post-natal contacts with health workers, maternal illiteracy and geographical region were common determinants of delayed introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods across all four countries. Predictors for minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet included children aged 6-11 months, administrative/geographical region, poorer household income and limited access to media. The authors recommend that the four anglophone West African countries studied should prioritise efforts to improve complementary feeding practices in order to reduce child morbidity and mortality. Interventional studies on complementary feeding should target those from poor and illiterate households.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:27Parentral Nutrition: Centeral and Peripheral Parental Nutrition
PN can be administered through two primary routes:
1. Central Parenteral Nutrition (CPN):
CPN involves delivering a high concentration of nutrients through a large vein. This is typically achieved using a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) or,...
00:48Optimal Foraging
01:28Development of the Oral Microbiota