Minimum Acceptable Diet and Associated Factors among 6-23 Months Age Children in Wondo Genet District, Sidama Region, Ethiopia.

Background: Inappropriate child feeding practices can have significant negative effects on the well-being and survival of children under two years old. This study was aimed at assessing the minimum acceptable diet (MAD) and associated factors among 6 to 23 months age children in Wondo Genet district, Sidama region, Ethiopia.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 to 30 July in 2023 among 422 children aged 6 to 23 months. Multi-stage sampling method was applied to select kebeles and study participants. Trained data collectors gathered data using pretested questionnaire. Data was entered into EPI Info 7 and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26. MAD as a composite indicator was produced based on the proportion of children aged 6 to 23 months who met the minimum meal frequency (MMF) and minimum dietary diversity (MDD) on the previous day. To assess the factors determining adherence to MAD, multi-variable logistic regression analyses were employed. The outputs were presented using an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results: In this study, 419 mothers/caretakers participated with a response rate of 99.3%. The proportion of children who met the MAD were 26.5% (95% CI: 22.29%, 30.71%). Increased odds of meeting MAD were associated with being from food-secured households (AOR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.48 to 3.86), utilization of growth monitoring services (AOR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.23 to 3.39), mother attended formal education (AOR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.15 to 3.08), and being in age range of 12-23 months (AOR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.26 to 3.63).

Conclusion: The prevalence of MAD was very low. Factors associated with a MAD included maternal education, child age, growth monitoring service utilization, and food security. To enhance MAD provision, it is crucial to strengthen child feeding practices tailored to the local context.