Exploring Complementary Feeding Practices and their Determinants among 6-24 month old Children: A Cross Sectional...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nutrition
• Public Health
• Child Development

Background:

• Optimal complementary feeding is crucial for children's growth and development.
• Existing data indicates potential shortfalls in the quality, quantity, and frequency of complementary diets for children under two years.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess complementary feeding practices among children aged 6-24 months.
• To identify predictors associated with these feeding practices.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey involving 400 mother-child pairs (children aged 6-24 months).
• Dietary intake assessed using the open diet recall method.
• Analysis of nine World Health Organization indicators and logistic regression for predictor identification.

Main Results:

• Only 15.5% met Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD) and 16.5% met Minimum Diet Diversity (MDD).
• Timely complementary food introduction was associated with male gender and higher maternal education.
• Child's age, mother's occupation, socioeconomic status, and family type influenced diet adequacy and meal frequency.

Conclusions:

• Significant concerns exist regarding the timely initiation and adequacy of complementary feeding.
• Dietary patterns often include unhealthy foods and beverages, lacking essential micronutrients.
• Maternal education, child's age, and socioeconomic factors are key predictors of feeding practices.