Determinants of minimum acceptable diet among children aged 6-23 months: a cross-sectional analytical study in the eastern ward of Buhoma town council, Kanungu district.

Abstract

Among children under the age of five, those aged 6-23 months are at a greater risk to suffer from under nutrition. It is during this period that the child is transitioned from breast milk to solid foods as breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet the nutritional requirements of infants, thus, other foods and liquids are needed along with breast milk. These foods should be diverse in all food groups and fed to a child in appropriate frequencies. This study used a cross-sectional analytical design using primary data from care givers of children aged 6-23 months from Eastern Ward, Buhoma Town Council, Kanungu district, South Western Uganda to assess the factors determining meeting of the minimum acceptable diet (MAD) among children 6-23 months. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire which had socio-economic demographic section, the nutrition knowledge towards Infant Young Child Feeding practices (IYCF) section and the food consumption section which was a 24 hour recall. Research variables were examined in terms of their association with meeting the MAD using bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses with a 5% level of significance (α=0.05) and a 95% confidence interval. A third of the care takers (65.9%) of children had insufficient nutrition knowledge towards IYCF. 89.7%, 21.4% and 18.3% of the children met MMF, MDD and MAD respectively. Results from the final logistic regression model showed that birth order, weekly earnings, food security status and nutrition KAPs remained as determinant factors of meeting the MAD among 6-23 months children. Results showed that third and above born children, AOR=4.732, CI = (1.32-6.632) and p=0.033, weekly earnings $8-$28, AOR=0.63, CI = (0.000-0.763) p=0.09, UGX $28-$55, AOR=0.47, CI= (0.000-0.82) and < $8, AOR=0.12, CI= (0.000-0.98), food security status, having a food secure household, AOR=2.21, CI= (1.6-2.39) and having sufficient nutrition knowledge, AOR= 3.03, CI= 1.67-6.1), p= 0.02 were significant determinants of the MAD practice. There was no significant association (p >=0.05) between MAD and child age, sex, breast initiation at birth, prelacteal use, breastfeeding status, maternal age, education level, maternal marital status, work status, IYCF counselling, household size and family status. The results of the study will provide evidence based information about the key determinants of MAD to be used by the planning authority in the Town Council in the allocation of resources. They also provide insights into the key determinants for future researches to consider them at the national level as one of the ways to meet the World Health Assembly targets of 2025 especially 50% reduction in the number of stunted children which the country is off-track.