Abstract:
Introduction: Complementary feeding is the central pillars supporting healthy growth and development of children. Lack of appropriate breast-feeding and complementary feeding practice are the main cause of under nutrition. Children aged 6-23 months are at the highest risk of malnutrition mainly due to sub-optimal complementary feeding practices.
Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the magnitude of appropriate complementary feeding practices and associated factors among mothers of children aged 6-23 months in Kuarit district, Northwest Ethiopia.
Methods: Community based cross - sectional study was conducted among 461 mothers of children aged 6-23 months in Kuarit district, North West Ethiopia from Feburary 2 - 22, 2020. Systematic sampling technique was used to select 461 mothers. The data were collected using interviewer administered-structured questionnaire. The data was checked, coded and entered to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Both bivariate and multivariable analyses were used to isolate dependent predictors of appropriate complementary feeding. Odds ratios along with 95% confidence intervals were used to present the findings P - Value < 0.05 was used to declare level of statistical significance.
Results: Appropriate complementary feeding practice was 43% with a four composite indicators (80.0% timely initiation of age appropriate complementary foods, 59% dietary diversified feeding, and 68.5% feeding with the recommended meal frequency per day, and 94.8% of children were had continuous breastfed). Maternal occupation; merchant (AOR=6.12, 95%CI: 1.51,24.87) and farmer (AOR=2.98, 95%CI:1.07,8.35), maternal educational status grade 1-8 (AOR=2.88, 95%:1.20,6.89), husband‘s educational status secondary school (AOR=0.18, 95% CI: 0.05- 0.72), husband‘s those have no job and students (AOR=7.56,95% CI: :1.03,55.66), maternal knowledge on appropriate complementary feeding (AOR=2.26,95%CI:1.41,3.63) and maternal postnatal care follow-up (who had gone to health facility 1-3 times) (AOR=2.09,95%CI:1.01,4.31) and (who had gone ≥4 times) (AOR=3.39, 95%CI:1.47,7.79) were found to be independent predictors of complementary feeding.
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Conclusion and recommendation: An appropriate complementary feeding practice was poor in the study. The findings need interventions that address complementary feeding practices such as access to ANC services and improving basic education of mothers to improve appropriate complementary feeding of children.