Feeding Practices Among Children Aged 6–36 Months Living in Urban Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire: The Victory Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Micronutrient deficiencies, often resulting from the consumption of diets with low nutritional value and diversity, remain a major public health concern for children in low-income countries. Understanding food consumption practices is crucial for providing an evidence-based foundation for designing and implementing effective intervention strategies to address micronutrient deficiencies in vulnerable geographies and populations.

Objectives

To assess infant feeding practices and dietary intakes of healthy children aged 6–36 mo living in Abidjan, Cote Ivoire.

Methods

Food and beverage intake was collected by their mother using an interview-based 24-h dietary intake questionnaire. Dietary intake was assessed after classification based on food groups and subgroups defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization, adjusted to reflect Ivorian food specificities. Dietary quality was evaluated through dietary diversity scores.

Results

Four hundred seven children were included (6–11 mo old: n = 213; 12–23 mo old: n = 135; and 24–36 mo old: n = 59; 53% female). Exclusive and nonexclusive breastfeeding prevalence at 6 mo was 37% and 95%, respectively. Breastfeeding continuation rates were 85%, 38%, and 3% in the 6- to 11-, 12- to 23-, and 24- to 36-mo-old group, respectively. The most consumed food groups were dairy (92% of the sample), cereals (88%), roots, tubers, and starchy foods (38%), fish (49%), and vegetables (41%), whereas meat (11%), fruits (15%), eggs (15%), pulses (3%), and seeds and nuts (2%) were seldom consumed. Milk intake decreased with age, whereas cereal and starchy food consumption increased. Dietary diversity was low (dietary diversity score: 3.3 ± 1.4), increasing with age. The proportion of children not meeting the minimum dietary diversity was 74%.

Conclusions

The study provided information on the dietary intake of children aged 6–36 mo. The results showed that the children’s feeding practices and dietary intakes are suboptimal. This calls for interventions to improve child feeding practices in this age group.