Dietary Diversity and Meal Frequency Practices among Children Aged 6-23 Months in Agro Pastoral Communities in Afar Region, Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Study.

Conclusions: The current study showed that the proportions of children who met the minimum dietary diversity and meal frequency were low. Increasing maternal education, being a housewife, being a male child and attending a postnatal care visit were independently associated with minimum dietary diversity. Likewise, increasing the age of a child, being a male child and attending a postnatal care visit were significantly associated with minimum meal frequency. Improving maternal education and health care utilization, health and nutrition counseling during postnatal care visits are highly recommended to improve infant and young child feeding practices. Abbreviations ANC: Ante Natal Care, DHS: Demographic and Health Surveys, EDHS: Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys, RERC: Research and Ethical Review Committee, IYCF: Infant and Young Child Feeding, MDD: Minimum Dietary Diversity, MMF: Minimum Meal Frequency, PNC: Post Natal Care, WHO: World Health Organization. PMID: 31353951 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Ecology of Food and Nutrition - Category: Nutrition Tags: Ecol Food Nutr Source Type: research