Dietary Diversity and Associated Factors Among Children in the Tahtay Maichew District, Northern Ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: Children aged 6-23 months are in a period of intense physical and neurological development and therefore require nutrient-dense complementary foods from multiple food groups. However, information on what young children eat and which factors influence the variety of their diets remains scarce in the study area. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the level of dietary diversity among 6-23-month-old children in the Tahtay Maichew district and to identify demographic, household, and health-service-related determinants of their food variety.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 981 children aged 6-23 months in the Tahtay Maichew district, northern Ethiopia. Dietary diversity was evaluated using a 24-h maternal recall of all foods and beverages consumed by the child. After checking questionnaires for completeness and consistency, data were coded and entered into EPI INFO Version 7 and then exported to STATA-12 for analysis. In the final multivariable model, variables with a p value < 0.05, identified through backward elimination, were considered factors associated with dietary diversity.

Results: Only 31.1% (95% CI: 28.3%-34.3%) of children received the recommended minimum dietary diversity for their age. Having a housewife mother (AOR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.15-2.7), being from a government-employed mother (AOR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.03-6.87), having a father with primary (AOR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.01-2.77) or secondary education (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.26-3.57), attending postnatal care follow-up (AOR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.08-2.21), and good maternal knowledge of child feeding were significantly associated with achieving recommended dietary diversity among children.

Conclusion: The proportion of children meeting the minimum dietary diversity was low. Mothers' occupation, husband's educational status, postnatal care follow-up, and maternal knowledge of child feeding were independent determinants of dietary diversity.