Acceptable diet and dietary diversity across countries in infants aged 6-23 months: a multi-country big data analysis...

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of minimum dietary diversity, zero vegetable or fruit consumption, egg and/or food consumption and minimum acceptable diet in 6-23 months children by income status in countries and regions worldwide.

This study is a retrospective secondary data analysis. In our study, the prevalences of minimum dietary diversity, zero vegetable or fruit consumption, egg and/or meat and food consumption and minimum acceptable diet were analyzed. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed using Python, and results were visualized using Flourish (a web-based data visualization platform), stratified by WHO and World Bank regional classifications and individual wealth quintiles. In this study, statistics published by the World Health Organization were used as data source. The data were analyzed with Python program and visualized using a web 2.0 tools.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) had the lowest rates of minimum dietary diversity (MDD: ~21%) and minimum acceptable diet (MAD: ~14%) across all wealth quintiles, while Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) had the highest rates (MDD: ~48%; MAD: ~40%). The highest proportions of infants who did not consume any vegetables or fruits were observed in South Asia (~ 51% in the lowest wealth quintile) and SSA (~ 48%), while LAC had the lowest rates (~ 27%). SSA also had the lowest egg and/or meat consumption rates (~ 35% in the lowest wealth quintile), whereas LAC reported the highest (~ 69%). In SSA, nutritional inadequacy was present across all income levels regardless of wealth quintile. In LAC, dietary adequacy was higher than other regions across all income levels.

In our study, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, undernutrition in infants aged 6-23 months was found at all income levels, while in Latin America & Caribbean, the nutritional status at all income levels was higher than in other regions.