Abstract:
Background: More than 10 million children under the age of five die every year; and the major contributor to their death is malnutrition which is commonly result of sub- optimal complementary feeding practices. Inappropriate complementary feeding practices continue to make children to be vulnerable to irreversible outcomes of stunting, & poor cognitive development. Objective:The aim of this study was to assess complementary feeding practice and associated factors among mothers who have children age 6-23 months in Mecha district, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods:A Community based cross sectional study was conducted in Mecha district North West Ethiopia from Feb 28- April 20/2017. A multi stage stratified sampling technique was used with the strata of kebeles. The data collected by using face to face interviewer administered semi-structured and pretested questionnaire. Data were checked, coded and entered to Epi-info version 7 and were exported to SPSS version 20 and analysis. Frequencies distribution, binary and multiple logistic regressions were done. With 95% CI and p value <.05 were computed to measure the strength and significance of association respectively. Results: The response rate was 100% and the appropriate complementary feeding practice was 19.4%. Mothers who had heard information about complementary feeding [AOR=4.567,95%CI 2.512-0.305]Antenatal care counseling about complementary feeding [AOR=2.01 ,95% CI 1.08-3.72] maternal education status [AOR=3.667, 95% CI 1.17511.442 ] , post natal care follow up [AOR=3.44 ,95% CI 0.89-6.28] and PNC counseling about complementary feeding [AOR=3.02 ,95% CI 1.64-5.57] were found to be the independent predictors of appropriate complementary feeding practice. To show findings were timely initiation 60.7%,, meal frequency79.2%,, dietary diversity53.8% and minimum acceptable diet 2 9.2%, . Conclusion and recommendations:Prevalence of complementary feeding was very low. Maternal educational status, post natal care follow up counseling and antenatal care counseling about complementary feeding were significantly associated with appropriate complementary feeding practice. Improving maternal education, postenatal carecounseling and Antenatal care service counseling about complementary feeding recommended for the concerned bodies