Optimal complementary feeding practices and associated factors among mothers having children 6 to 23 months, south WOLLO zone, Dessie ZURIA, Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION

Optimal complementary feeding practice is a child feeding practice that fulfills the minimum dietary diversity, the minimum meal frequency, continuing breastfeeding with complementary feeding, and initiation of complementary feeding from 6 to 8 months.

METHOD

A community-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 732 randomly selected mothers having children 6 to 23 months of age from March 10 to April 21 /2021.Data were collected using a pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data entry was performed by using Epi data version 3.1 and was exported to Stata version 14.1. Descriptive statistics were done. Multivariable Logistic regression was used to predict the role of independent variables on optimal complementary feeding. Findings with a p-value <0.05 at a 95% confidence interval (CI) were considered statistically significant in the final model.

RESULT

The overall proportion of mothers with optimal complementary feeding practice was 18.1% (95% C I 15.3% - 21.0). Only 90 (25.1%, 95% CI = 20.6-29.7) of mothers were found to have optimal complementary feeding practice in NGO supported kebeles but only 37 (10.8%, 95% CI = 7.5-14.1) practiced optimal complementary feeding is not NGO-supported kebeles. Mothers from Kebeles with no NGO support were 46% (AOR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.31, 0.96) less likely to practice optimal complementary feeding. On the other hand, mothers of children aged20-23 months were four times (AOR = 4.47, 95% CI 2.02-9.91) more likely to practice optimal complementary feeding than mothers having children 6-8 months of age.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Different interventions have been implemented by governmental and non-governmental organizations to improve this condition in Dessie Zuria District. But, there is limited data on the extent to which intervention by governmental and non-governmental organizations reduces this improving condition. The aim of this study was to assess the Optimal Complementary Feeding Practice and Associated Factors among Mothers Having Children Aged 6-23 Months, Ethiopia 2021.

CONCLUSION

Optimal complementary feeding practices among mothers in NGO-supported kebeles were higher than not supported kebeles. Therefore, strengthening and scaling up the program to not-supported kebeles is recommended to improve the optimal complementary feeding practiced.