<p>Minimum Acceptable Diet and Associated Factors Among HIV-Exposed Children Aged 6–24 Months in Debre Tabor Town, Ethiopia</p>

Abstract

Introduction Minimum acceptable diet is a composite indicator of minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency. World Health Organization’s newborn child feeding and HIV guidelines suggestbeginning complementary nourishments at six months, and breastfeeding for HIV-exposed children. HIV infected mothers may be more sensitive on feeding practices to protect their children from contracting the disease. On the other hand, HIV infection is associated with higher risk food insecurity which may affect feeding practices of children. But in Ethiopia, there is lack of evidence on extent of minimum acceptable diet of HIV-exposed children. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess minimum acceptable diet and associated factors among HIV-exposed 6–24 months aged children. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in health institutions of Debre Tabor town. The study was conducted on 287 mother-child pairs attending antiretroviral therapy (ART) and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) at public health facilities. Descriptive statistics like frequency, proportions, mean and standard deviation were computed. Multi-variable logistic regression was run to identify independent predictors of the outcome variable (minimum acceptable diet). A p-value <0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Results About 76% (95% CI: 70.8–80.8) and 58.2% (95% CI: 53.0–68.3) children were fed with appropriate meal frequency and recommended dietary diversity, respectively. One hundred (34.8%) (95% CI: 29.3–40.4) of children were fed a minimum acceptable diet and 59.9% (95% CI: 54.0–65.9) of children consumed iron rich or fortified food. Out of the total, 203 (71.0%) (95% CI: 66.1–76.2) of the mothers had good knowledge on minimum dietary diversity and meal frequency feeding practices. In multi-variable logistic regression poor knowledge with AOR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.17–0.58, maternal workload with AOR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.19–0.75 and inadequate information about child feeding from health care providers with AOR = 0.46, 95% CI: 0.26–0.81 were statistically significant predictors of minimum acceptable diet. Conclusion The study revealed that the proportion of children who received minimal acceptable diet was lower than that of WHO recommendation for good practice. Knowledge, maternal workload and information related to complementary feeding were associated with low minimum acceptable diet.

Trends and determinants of minimum acceptable diet intake among infant and young children aged 6–23 months in Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis of Ethiopian demographic and health survey

“…Regarding meal frequency this study found that more than half (55.1%) of infant and young children aged 6–23 months in Ethiopia received the recommended minimum meal frequency. This finding was lower than study studies conducted in Debre Tabor Town (76%) [ 31 ], Dabat District (72.2%) [ 37 ], Wolaita Sodo town (68.9%) [ 38 ], Bale Zone (68.4%) [ 35 ]. However, the finding was slightly higher than a study from Afar Region (43.8%) [ 22 ] and Dangila district (50.4%) [ 39 ].…”

“…This finding was nearly similar with study conducted in Sinan district, Southern Ethiopia, 13% [ 30 ]. However, it was by far lower than studies conducted in Debre Tabor town, Northern Ethiopia, 58.2% [ 31 ], Addis Ababa, 59.9% [ 32 ], in Bench Maji Zone, 38% [ 33 ] and Gorche district Southern Ethiopia, 29.9% [ 34 ], and Bale zone, Southern Oromia region 28.5% [ 35 ]. These discrepancy might be due to small sample size and urban setting in the previous studies.…”

Minimum acceptable diet feeding practice and associated factors among children aged 6–23 months in east Africa: a multilevel binary logistic regression analysis of 2008–2018 demographic health survey data

“…The present study found that birthing in a health facility was significantly associated with higher odds of minimum acceptable diet feeding practice and this finding is supported by a study done in west Africa [ 24 ]. This might be as institutional delivery increases exposure to health information and improves mothers’ knowledge about infant and young child feeding [ 34 ]. In this study, children from a household who used traditional biomass as a source of fuel (wood, animal dug and others) had a lower chance to feed a minimum acceptable diet.…”

Minimum Acceptable Diet and its Associated Factors among Children Aged 6–23 Months in Indonesia

“…Children with mothers who did not work (63.7%) were higher in MAD fulfillment than children with mothers who worked (58.8%), meaning that the proportion of minimum diet for children with working mothers was lower than children with mothers who did not work. Children whose mothers did not have a workload had a higher likelihood of receiving proper complementary eating, and thus better MAD fulfillment, than children whose mothers did (Yisak et al 2020).…”