Shagaro Sewunet Sako, Mulugeta Be'emnet Tekabe, Kale Temesgen Dileba
Department of Health Informatics, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Ethiopia.
Arch Public Health. 2021 Nov 22;79(1):205. doi: 10.1186/s13690-021-00725-x.
Optimal nutrition in early child's life plays a vital role in improving mental and motor development, reduces the possibility of contracting various infectious diseases and related deaths, decreases the risk of obesity, and fosters better overall development. However, 45% of deaths in children under five years of age that occur globally is attributed to nutrition-related factors and the majority of these deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries. Therefore, this study aims to assess complementary feeding practices and associated factors among mothers of children aged 6-23 months in Ethiopia.
The study used the Ethiopian mini demographic and health survey 2019 data. A two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique was used to select 1465 mothers of children aged 6-23 months in Ethiopia. Two-level multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model analysis was computed, and variables with p-value of less than 5% and an adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval in the final model were reported as statistically significant factors with appropriate complementary feeding practice.
The overall prevalence of appropriate complementary feeding practice among mothers of children aged 6-23 months was 9.76%. In our study, mothers who attended primary[AOR = 2.72; 95%CI: 1.47-5.01], secondary[AOR = 2.64; 95%CI: 1.18-5.92] and higher school[AOR = 5.39; 95%CI: 2.29-12.64], being from medium income household[AOR = 2.89; 95%CI: 1.41-5.92], attended 1-3 times ANC visits in index pregnancy[AOR = 0.41; 95%CI: 0.18-0.89], mothers who have 12-17 months[AOR = 1.96; 95%CI: 1.16-3.33] and 18-23 months old children[AOR = 2.61; 95%CI: 1.49-4.54], currently breastfeeding mothers[AOR = 3.69; 95%CI: 1.73-7.91], mothers from pastoralist contextual regions[AOR = 0.29; 95%CI: 0.09-0.91], and mothers who have resided in rural areas[AOR = 0.49; 95%CI: 0.25-0.97] were factors significantly associated with appropriate complementary feeding practice.
This study showed low prevalence of appropriate complementary feeding practice. Therefore, the concerned health authorities need to strengthen the existing approaches designed for provision of nutrition education particularly targeting mothers who are unschooled, who have 6-11 months old children, live in pastoralist regions and reside in rural parts of the country, and create strategies that improve maternal job opportunities.
幼儿期的最佳营养在改善智力和运动发育、降低感染各种传染病及相关死亡的可能性、降低肥胖风险以及促进整体更好发育方面起着至关重要的作用。然而，全球五岁以下儿童死亡中有45%归因于营养相关因素，且这些死亡大多发生在低收入和中等收入国家。因此，本研究旨在评估埃塞俄比亚6至23个月儿童母亲的辅食喂养做法及相关因素。
本研究使用了2019年埃塞俄比亚小型人口与健康调查数据。采用两阶段分层整群抽样技术，在埃塞俄比亚选取了1465名6至23个月儿童的母亲。进行了两级多水平混合效应逻辑回归模型分析，最终模型中p值小于5%且调整后的比值比及其95%置信区间的变量被报告为与适当辅食喂养做法相关的统计学显著因素。
6至23个月儿童母亲中适当辅食喂养做法的总体患病率为9.76%。在我们的研究中，接受过小学教育的母亲（比值比=2.72；95%置信区间：1.47 - 5.01）、接受过中学教育的母亲（比值比=2.64；95%置信区间：1.18 - 5.92）和接受过高等教育的母亲（比值比=5.39；95%置信区间：2.29 - 12.64）、来自中等收入家庭的母亲（比值比=2.89；95%置信区间：1.41 - 5.92）、在本次妊娠期间进行过1 - 3次产前检查的母亲（比值比=0.41；95%置信区间：0.18 - 0.89）、孩子年龄在12 - 17个月的母亲（比值比=1.96；95%置信区间：1.16 - 3.33）和孩子年龄在18 - 23个月的母亲（比值比=2.61；95%置信区间：1.49 - 4.54）、目前正在母乳喂养的母亲（比值比=3.69；95%置信区间：1.73 - 7.91）、来自游牧地区的母亲（比值比=0.29；95%置信区间：0.09 - 0.91）以及居住在农村地区的母亲（比值比=0.49；95%置信区间：0.25 - 0.97）是与适当辅食喂养做法显著相关的因素。
本研究显示适当辅食喂养做法的患病率较低。因此，相关卫生当局需要加强现有的营养教育方法，尤其针对未受过教育、孩子年龄在6 - 11个月、生活在游牧地区以及居住在该国农村地区的母亲，并制定改善孕产妇就业机会的策略。
