Birhanu Haregewoin, Gonete Kedir Abdela, Hunegnaw Melkamu Tamir, Aragaw Fantu Mamo
Ministry of Health, Nutrition officer, Central Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Department of Human Nutrition, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
BMC Nutr. 2022 Aug 10;8(1):76. doi: 10.1186/s40795-022-00558-z.
Nutritional improvement through appropriate feeding practices is critical for young children's healthy growth and development. Even if children are exempted from fasting, their diets are influenced by the widespread fasting practices of their Orthodox Christian mothers. However, scientific evidence on a minimum acceptable diet (MAD) among children aged 6-23 months during the fasting period was limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the minimum acceptable diet and associated factors among children aged 6-23 months during the fasting period among Orthodox Christian mothers in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia.
A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted during the fasting season (Lent) from March 8, 20,121 to April 8, 2021. A total of 738 Orthodox Christian mothers with their children were selected by multistage sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data among mothers to assess children's MAD status. The degree of association between independent and dependent variables was assessed by using an odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval. Those variables with a p-value of less than 0.05 in the multivariable analysis were considered as a significant factor for MAD among children aged 6-23 months. Data were presented using texts, tables and figures.
The overall prevalence of MAD among children aged 6-23 months was 19.4% (95% CI: 16.40%-22.20). Having household wealth index of rich and middle (AOR = 4.39, 95% CI: 2.26,8.50) and (AOR = 3.25, 95% CI: 1.69,6.22), respectively, children aged from 12-17 months (AOR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.43,4.92) and 18-23 months (AOR = 5.39, 95% CI: 2.93,9.95) respectively, Children who lived with a family member who consumed any time without keeping the fasting time(AOR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.13,2.83) and mothers of young children who were married (AOR = 4.13, 95% CI: 1.29,13.23) have significant association with MAD.
The practice of minimum acceptable diet was inadequate. Age of child, wealth status, marital status, and presence of family member who fed without keeping fasting time were significantly associated factors for MAD among children aged 6-23 months. Advocacy for appropriate feeding practice and meeting the MAD for children aged 6-23 months during the fasting period should also be strengthened targeting the unmarried women and those with poor households and giving awareness for mothers in collaboration with the respective religious leaders is highly recommended.
通过适当的喂养方式改善营养对幼儿的健康成长和发育至关重要。即使儿童无需禁食，其饮食仍会受到东正教基督教母亲普遍禁食做法的影响。然而，关于6至23个月大儿童在禁食期间的最低可接受饮食（MAD）的科学证据有限。因此，本研究旨在评估埃塞俄比亚西北部贡德尔市东正教基督教母亲所育6至23个月大儿童在禁食期间的最低可接受饮食及相关因素。
在2021年3月8日至4月8日的禁食季节（大斋期）进行了一项基于社区的横断面研究。通过多阶段抽样共选取了738名东正教基督教母亲及其子女。使用结构化问卷收集母亲的数据，以评估儿童的MAD状况。通过使用具有95%置信区间的比值比来评估自变量和因变量之间的关联程度。在多变量分析中p值小于0.05的变量被视为6至23个月大儿童MAD的重要因素。数据以文本、表格和图表形式呈现。
6至23个月大儿童的MAD总体患病率为19.4%（95%CI：16.40%-22.20）。家庭财富指数为富裕和中等的儿童（比值比分别为4.39，95%CI：2.26，8.50）和（比值比为3.25，95%CI：1.69，6.22），年龄在12至17个月的儿童（比值比为2.66，95%CI：1.43，4.92）和18至23个月的儿童（比值比为5.39，95%CI：2.93，9.95），与随时进食而不遵守禁食时间的家庭成员一起生活的儿童（比值比为1.79，95%CI：1.13，2.83）以及已婚幼儿的母亲（比值比为4.13，95%CI：1.29，13.23）与MAD有显著关联。
最低可接受饮食的做法并不充分。儿童年龄、财富状况、婚姻状况以及有不遵守禁食时间进食的家庭成员是6至23个月大儿童MAD的显著相关因素。还应加强对适当喂养方式的倡导，并在禁食期间满足6至23个月大儿童的MAD，目标针对未婚女性和贫困家庭，并与各自的宗教领袖合作提高母亲的认识，这是非常有必要的。
