Minimum dietary diversity and its associated factors among infants and young children in Ethiopia: evidence from Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (2016)

Abstract

Background Adequate infant and young child feeding during the first 1000 days of life is very essential to improve child health, survival, growth, and development through minimum dietary diversity (MDD). Hence, this study aimed to assess MDD and its multi-level factors among infants and young children aged 6–23 months in Ethiopia. Methods Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS-2016) data was used to identify both individual and community-level factors of dietary diversity. Weighted samples of 2,962 children were eligible and a multi-level regression model was used for the analysis. Finally, factors with a P-value of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results The prevalence of MDD among children in Ethiopia was 12.09%. According to this study, factors such as having a mother who attended higher education (AOR = 3.09, (95% CI; _1.67–5.71)), being a female household head (AOR = 0.62, (95% CI; _0.40–0.95)), having a mother's agricultural occupation (AOR = 1.89, (95% CI; _1.10–3.23)) and living in the household in the richest wealth index were significantly associated at the individual level. At the community level, children living in rural areas (AOR = 0.62, 95% CI; 0.39–0.98) were significant risk factors for MDD (AOR = 0.62, 95% CI; 0.39–0.98). Conclusion The educational and occupational status of the mother, wealth index, and region were significantly associated with MDD. Hence, strengthening of the existing nutritional intervention is helpful to increase diversified food consumption among children.

Minimum meal frequency practice and associated factors among children aged 6–23 months old in The Gambia: a multilevel mixed effect analysis

“…Compared to male household heads, female household heads have revealed less likely hood of providing the required MMF for the infants and young children. Similar finding from Ethiopia has been declared 41 , 42 . Even though the author has faced to cross over with several findings, however, we can support this with solid evidence that we have at hand.…”

“…This study found that mothers who have attended their primary and secondary or higher educational attainment have shown higher chance to provide the recommended MMF for their children as compared to mothers without formal educational enrollment. This finding supported by studies done in Malawi, Ghana, and Ethiopia 41 , 43 , 47 , 50 . Educated mothers or parents are more open to learning new things, are more aware of the value of good child-feeding habits, and can modify their conduct more quickly than illiterate ones who are more static and take longer to do so.…”

“…Similarly, working mothers are more likely to be economically better off because they have their own income. As a result, it is not difficult for them to eat the recommended MMF for their children compared to no working mothers 40 , 41 .…”