Association between children's feeding practices and the nutritional status of children 6–23 months in Lao PDR: Evidence from the Provincial Household Survey 2022

Abstract

To investigate the association between children's feeding practices and the nutritional status of children 6–23 months in Lao PDR.The study is based on the latest Provincial Household Survey 2022 (PHS 2022). The WHO's guidelines were used to define nutritional status. If height‐for‐age (HAZ), weight‐for‐height (WHZ) and weight‐for‐age (WAZ) z‐scores were below −2, children were considered stunted, wasted and underweight, respectively. Minimum meal frequency (MMF) was considered if breastfeeding children consumed soft foods two times per day for infants 6–8 months and three times for children 9–23 months, and that nonbreastfeeding children consumed solid, semisolid, soft foods or milk feeds four times for children aged 6–23 months the previous day. A child was regarded to have a minimum dietary diversity (MDD) if they had consumed foods from at least five of the eight main groups the previous day. Minimum acceptable diet (MAD) was considered if children aged 6–23 months had at least the MMF and the MDD indicators in the previous 24 h.There was a significant (p < 0.05) positive relationship between MAD and stunting among children aged 6–23 months. Regarding the predictors of MMF, MDD and MAD, the probability of MDD and MAD increased with the child's age, whereas MMF decreased. We found that the higher the mother's education, the probability of their children attaining MDD, MMF and MAD increased. A significant negative relationship was observed among children living in rural areas with MMF, MDD and MAD. Our analysis also found that children who were not currently breastfed were less likely to meet MMF, MDD and MAD compared with children who were currently breastfed.Interventions for infant and young child feeding (IYFC) in Lao PDR, with a particular emphasis on rural households, mothers with little to no education, and new parents, should be targeted for future nutrition interventions to increase optimal feeding practices among the children.