Author(s): Abulu Waga Dinka, Guta Cheru, Tadesse Kebebe
Purpose
Children's malnutrition is a major health concern in many developing countries including Ethiopia. Appropriate practices of infant and young child feeding practices including complementary feeding are critically important to improve this problem according to a recommendation by the World health organization. This study aimed to assess complementary feeding practices among mothers and caregivers of children aged 6-23 months in the Meta Robi district.
Methods And FindingCommunity-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Meta Robi district, Oromia region between Februarys and March 2018. Accordingly, a total of 625 mothers of children aged 6 to 23 months were included in the study. The proportion of timely introduction of complementary feeding among children 6-23 months of age was 459(73.4%) whereas appropriate complementary feeding was 73 (13.0%). Lower age of Mothers [(AOR=0.37; 95%CI :( 1.22, 2.97)]; First birth order [(AOR=0.457; 95%CI: (0.155, 0.821)], and mothers who had formal education were found significantly associated with appropriate complementary feeding practices [(AOR= 1.571; 95%CI :( 1.536, 4.401)].
ConclusionThe practice of the appropriate complementary feeding of complementary feeding was suboptimal in the study area. We also identified, more attention is important for young mothers, those who give birth for the first time, and no formal education to improve Infant and young children feeding practice according to recommended guidelines.
