Influence of Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices on Stunting in Children Aged 6 – 23 Months in Zambia

Abstract Background Infant and child nutrition in Zambia remains a pressing public health problem. The Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS) indicates that 35% of children under-five and 36 % among those aged 6-23 months are stunted. This study set out to assess the influence of Infant and Child Feeding (IYCF) practices on child stunting (6-23 months) in Zambia. Methods The 2008 ZDHS children’s data were analysed to measure stunting among infants aged 6-23 months. We fitted a bivariate logistic regression to measure association between feeding practices and stunting in children. Pearson’s Chi-square test of proportions measuring differences in proportions and adjusted odd ratios (AOR) with confidence intervals at 95% are reported. Results Findings indicate that 36% were stunted. IYCF practices indicators remain relatively poor in Zambia with only 13% of children age 6-23 months having received minimum acceptable diet, 23% received minimum dietary diversity and 42% received minimum meal frequency. Breastfeeding and receipt of a minimum dietary diversity reduced the odds of stunting among children age 6-23 months by 38% and 33% respectively. A child's perceived low birth size, being male, maternal anaemia status and mother's use of the internet were significant predictors of stunting.Conclusion We conclude that IYCF practices have an influence on stunting in Zambia and that socio-economic and demographic factors are likewise associated with stunting although the main determinants are amendable to intervention. Promoting the recommended WHO IYCF practices; breastfeeding, minimum meal frequency, receiving foods with diverse dietary content and accelerated investment in nutrition programs is recommended.

Download Full-text

Minimum Diet Diversity and Minimum Meal Frequency – Do They Matter Equally? Understanding IYCF Practices in India

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa054_084 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 1012-1012

Author(s):

Ayushi Jain ◽

Muneer Kalliyil ◽

Satish Agnihotri

Keyword(s):

Child Nutrition ◽

Complementary Feeding ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Family Health ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Meal Frequency ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Diet Diversity ◽

Minimum Dietary Diversity ◽

Nutritional Outcomes

Abstract Objectives Infant and Young Child Feeding practices, mainly, complementary feeding in children between 6 months and two years of age, is found to be sub-optimal and emerge as the weakest link in improving child nutrition outcomes in India. Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD), comprising of two sub-indicator – Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) and Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF), serves as an essential indicator to understand the diet adequacy pattern in children. The objective of this study was thus to investigate the role of MDD-MMF dyad in influencing the nutritional outcomes in children and its pattern across regions in India. Methods Data was obtained from the National Family Health Survey – 4 (NFHS-4) from the DHS Program website. The prevalence of MMF and MDD was calculated for 640 districts in India. The MMF and MDD were classified into three categories - high, medium and low based on equal percentile distribution of their prevalence range. Districts with high MMF and high MDD formed one cohort. Similarly, eight other cohorts were created based on their performance on MMF and MDD indicator. The prevalence of Stunting (St), Wasting (Wa) and Underweight (Uw) in children between 6 months and two years of age was then calculated for each of the nine cohorts. The districts were also mapped based on their cohort category to study the variation across regions in India. Results All three anthropometric indicators – stunting, wasting and underweight showed significant decline moving across low MMF- low MDD cohort (40% St; 26.2% Wa; 37.1% Uw) to medium MMF – medium MDD cohort (38.6% St; 23.8% Wa; 35.4% Uw) to high MMF – high MDD cohort (29% St; 15.5% Wa; 19.2% Uw). Second, the importance of minimum dietary diversity in improving nutritional outcomes was revealed, as opposed to minimum meal frequency, which shows improvement only when it reaches a certain threshold. Third, mapping revealed sharp differences across various regions in MMF-MDD pattern, especially in the states like Odisha, Assam and Andhra Pradesh. States in the central region performed poorly on complementary feeding indicators, specifically diet diversity. Conclusions The study highlights the importance of optimal complementary feeding practices in improving nutrition outcomes and the need to consider the regional heterogeneities while promoting IYCF practices in India. Funding Sources None.

Download Full-text

A study on infant and young child feeding practices among mothers attending the immunisation clinic of a tertiary care hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20204980 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (12) ◽

pp. 4827

Author(s):

Nabanita Chakraborty ◽

Gautam Kumar Joardar

Keyword(s):

Young Child ◽

Breast Feeding ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Child Feeding Practices ◽

Infant And Young Child ◽

Appropriate Practices ◽

Minimum Dietary Diversity

Background: Age appropriate feeding practices is an essential determinant of physical growth as well as mental health of under-five children. WHO and UNICEF have formulated the infant and young child feeding practices guidelines to enhance appropriate feeding practices in infants and young children.Methods: A descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in the immunization clinic of KPC medical college and hospital from October to December 2018 among children in 0-23 months age group. The mothers were interviewed regarding their sociodemographic details as well as the IYCF practices as per WHO.Results: It was found that appropriate practices in terms of prelacteal feeding, colostrum feeding; early initiation of breast feeding and exclusive breast feeding was present in 78.4%, 80%, 77.5% and 50% children respectively. Timely initiation of complementary feeding was found in 81%, breast feeding was continued upto 1 year in 68.8% and consumption of iron rich or iron fortified food was found in 54.5% children. Appropriate practices in terms of minimum meal frequency, minimum dietary diversity and minimum appropriate diet were found in 49.7%, 27% and 32.3% children respectively. Sex wise distributions have found significant association with minimum dietary diversity and minimum acceptable diet. Age wise distribution revealed significant association with minimum dietary frequency, minimum dietary diversity and minimum acceptable diet (p<0.005).Conclusions: Thus infant and young child feeding practices were not satisfactory. Mothers should be made aware about the appropriate feeding practices and health education should be given regarding correct child feeding practices.

Download Full-text

Mothers’ Knowledge And Attitude Towards Infant And Young Child Feeding Practices In Shashemene City, Oromia- Ethiopia 2020

10.21203/rs.3.rs-983355/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Junayde Abdurahmen Ahmed ◽

Kebede Kumsa ◽

Kelil Hussen ◽

Aster Yalew

Keyword(s):

Breast Milk ◽

Young Child ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Child Feeding Practices ◽

Infant And Young Child ◽

Minimum Dietary Diversity

Abstract The scheme youngsters are fed has a huge impact on their development. Poor breastfeeding and infant feeding practices have a negative impact on children's health and nutritional status.Purpose: The study's aim was to analyze mothers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding supplemental feeding of children aged 6–23 months in Shashamene City, Oromia Ethiopia.Methods : A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1-january 28 using a two-stage sampling procès to chose 536 women with children aged 6 to 23 months for the study. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software were used to analyze the data. The characteristics related with complementary feeding (CF) practice were identified using logistic regression, and statistical significance was determined at p-value of less than 0.05.Results: This study found that complementary food was first introduced at the age of 6 months, 353 (68.4 %) and 167 (32.1 %) at greater and Less than 6 months age with bottle feeding (AOR: 0.27, 95 % CI: (0.13, 0.55)). Sources of information about the advantages of breast milk (AOR:4.3495 % CI (1.96,9.60)), minimum dietary diversity (AOR:2.21,95 % CI(1.01,4.85)), knowledge about iron-rich foods (AOR:0.029,95 % CI (0.04,0.21)), knowledge about iodine-rich foods (AOR:0.022,95 % CI (0.03,0.16)) were discovered to be independent predictors of mother’s knowledge on appropriate infant feedingConclusion: Mothers' knowledge about the timing of CF practices is low in this study. Botte feeding, sources of information about the benefits of breast Milk, a minimum dietary diversity, knowledge about infant and young child feeding were the indépendant factors that significantly associated with mother's knowledge of appropriate infant and Young Child feeding practices.

Download Full-text

Determinants of inadequate complementary feeding practices among children aged 6–23 months in Ghana

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980014000834 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 669-678 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Abukari I Issaka ◽

Kingsley E Agho ◽

Penelope Burns ◽

Andrew Page ◽

Michael J Dibley

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Health Survey ◽

Complementary Feeding ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Demographic And Health Survey ◽

Meal Frequency ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Minimum Dietary Diversity ◽

Breast Fed

AbstractObjectiveTo explore complementary feeding practices and identify potential risk factors associated with inadequate complementary feeding practices in Ghana by using the newly developed WHO infant feeding indicators and data from the nationally representative 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey.DesignThe source of data for the analysis was the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Analysis of the factors associated with inadequate complementary feeding, using individual-, household- and community-level determinants, was done by performing multiple logistic regression modelling.SettingGhana.SubjectsChildren (n 822) aged 6–23 months.ResultsThe prevalence of the introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods among infants aged 6–8 months was 72·6 % (95 % CI 64·6 %, 79·3 %). The proportion of children aged 6–23 months who met the minimum meal frequency and dietary diversity for breast-fed and non-breast-fed children was 46·0 % (95 % CI 42·3 %, 49·9 %) and 51·4 % (95 % CI 47·4 %, 55·3 %) respectively and the prevalence of minimum acceptable diet for breast-fed children was 29·9 % (95 % CI 26·1 %, 34·1 %). Multivariate analysis revealed that children from the other administrative regions were less likely to meet minimum dietary diversity, meal frequency and acceptable diet than those from the Volta region. Household poverty, children whose mothers perceived their size to be smaller than average and children who were delivered at home were significantly less likely to meet the minimum dietary diversity requirement; and children whose mothers did not have any postnatal check-ups were significantly less likely to meet the requirement for minimum acceptable diet. Complementary feeding was significantly lower in infants from illiterate mothers (adjusted OR=3·55; 95 % CI 1·05, 12·02).ConclusionsThe prevalence of complementary feeding among children in Ghana is still below the WHO-recommended standard of 90 % coverage. Non-attendance of postnatal check-up by mothers, cultural beliefs and habits, household poverty, home delivery of babies and non-Christian mothers were the most important risk factors for inadequate complementary feeding practices. Therefore, nutrition educational interventions to improve complementary feeding practices should target these factors in order to achieve the fourth Millennium Development Goal.

Download Full-text

Association between women’s empowerment and infant and child feeding practices in sub-Saharan Africa: an analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980015002621 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 18 (17) ◽

pp. 3155-3165 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Muzi Na ◽

Larissa Jennings ◽

Sameera A Talegawkar ◽

Saifuddin Ahmed

Keyword(s):

Sierra Leone ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Women's Empowerment ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Women’S Empowerment ◽

Demographic And Health Surveys ◽

Meal Frequency ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Minimum Dietary Diversity

AbstractObjectiveTo explore the relationship between women’s empowerment and WHO recommended infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices in sub-Saharan Africa.DesignAnalysis was conducted using data from ten Demographic and Health Surveys between 2010 and 2013. Women’s empowerment was assessed by nine standard items covering three dimensions: economic, socio-familial and legal empowerment. Three core IYCF practices examined were minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were applied for the IYCF practices on dimensional and overall empowerment in each country.SettingBenin, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Zimbabwe.SubjectsYoungest singleton children aged 6–23 months and their mothers (n 15 153).ResultsLess than 35 %, 60 % and 18 % of children 6–23 months of age met the criterion of minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet, respectively. In general, likelihood of meeting the recommended IYCF criteria was positively associated with the economic dimension of women’s empowerment. Socio-familial empowerment was negatively associated with the three feeding criteria, except in Zimbabwe. The legal dimension of empowerment did not show any clear pattern in the associations. Greater overall empowerment of women was consistently and positively associated with multiple IYCF practices in Mali, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. However, consistent negative relationships were found in Benin and Niger. Null or mixed results were observed in the remaining countries.ConclusionsThe importance of women’s empowerment for IYCF practices needs to be discussed by context and by dimension of empowerment.

Download Full-text

A cross sectional study on optimal infant and young child feeding practices with reference to WHO indicators in a rural area of Puducherry

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20191405 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 1684

Author(s):

Arulprasad Radjasegarane ◽

Anandaraj Rajagopal ◽

Prakash Mathiyalagen ◽

Kavita Vasudevan

Keyword(s):

Young Child ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Child Feeding Practices ◽

Infant And Young Child ◽

One Year

Background: Optimal infant and young child feeding practices (IYCF) are essential to address the increasing burden of malnutrition and for the overall development of the children. The present study was conducted to estimate the proportion of optimal infant and young child feeding practices among rural children aged 0 to 23 months and study the associated socio demographic factors.Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 360 children in the age group of 0 to 23 months in a rural field practice area of a medical college in Puducherry. Data on IYCF practices were collected using a standardized tool developed by WHO. Core and optional IYCF indicators were calculated. Chi-square test and Fishers’ exact test were used as tests of significance.Results: Almost 88.0% of infants were initiated early on breastfeeding and 90.8% were exclusively breastfed for six months. Children who were continuously breastfed at one year and two years were 77.4% and 22.4% respectively. About 75.0% were introduced with solid or semisolid foods at 6 to 8 months of age. Among children aged 6 to 23 months, 77.3% had the recommended minimum dietary diversity, 81.3% had the minimum meal frequencies, while 57.7% received the minimum acceptable diet and only 39.4% consumed iron rich foods. Gender was significantly associated with the practice of continued breastfeeding at one year, adequate minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency.Conclusions: The core and optional IYCF indicators were acceptably good in the initial six months of life but thereafter showed suboptimal levels, which should be emphasized among the mothers or primary care givers.

Download Full-text

Knowledge, Food Vouchers, and Child Nutrition: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Ethiopia (P11-116-19)

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzz048.p11-116-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Seollee Park ◽

Yae Eun Han ◽

Hyuncheol Kim

Keyword(s):

Child Nutrition ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Study Groups ◽

Child Growth ◽

Control Group ◽

Maternal Knowledge ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Change Communication ◽

Randomized Design

Abstract Objectives Young children in developing countries often maintain poor diets, evidenced by strikingly low dietary diversity. Through formative research, we identified the lack of knowledge and affordability as key barriers to improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices in Ethiopia. The aim of this study is to investigate ways to promote healthy IYCF by analyzing the impacts of an IYCF behavior change communication (BCC) program and food vouchers on mother's IYCF knowledge and practices, and child growth. Methods Using a clustered randomized design, we compare the effects of two independent interventions—IYCF BCC program and food vouchers—on four study groups: BCC only (BCC), voucher only (Voucher), BCC and voucher (BCC + Voucher), and the control group. The BCC program offered weekly group IYCF sessions to mothers who has children between 4 to 20 months of age for 16 weeks, employing participatory learning methods. The voucher program provided food vouchers worth approximately 10 USD per month for four months, which could be used at nearby markets for purchasing a wide variety of food items. We identified 641 eligible households residing in 79 villages in Ejere through census. As shown in Figure 1, 79 villages were randomly assigned to one of the four study groups: BCC, Voucher, BCC + Voucher, and control. All eligible mothers living in treatment villages were invited to participate in the program to which the village she lives in was assigned. Results We show that BCC improves maternal knowledge of nutrition and IYCF behaviors, while food vouchers alone do not (Figure 2). Impacts are largest when both knowledge and income constraints are addressed simultaneously through BCC + Voucher (Table 1). Only in this group do we see these treatments reducing stunting by 9 percentage points (Figure 3). Moreover, we show that BCC + Voucher prevented stunting from occurring during this critical age range rather than reversing it (Figure 4). Conclusions Our results suggest that, when both knowledge and income are intertwined challenges for improved child-feeding practices, addressing both constraints simultaneously may augment the positive impacts due to their complementary relationship. Funding Sources Africa Future Foundation. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs

Download Full-text

The Influence of dietary diversity on the nutritional status of children between 6 and 23 months of age in Tanzania

10.21203/rs.2.16657/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Ahmed Gharib Khamis ◽

Akwilina Wendelin Mwanri ◽

Julius Edward Ntwenya ◽

Katharina Kreppel

Keyword(s):

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Food Group ◽

Limited Information ◽

Food Groups ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Nutritional Status Of Children ◽

Minimum Dietary Diversity

Abstract Background Undernutrition poses a serious health challenge in developing countries. Tanzania has the highest undernutrition burdens in East and Southern Africa. Poor infant and young child feeding practices including consumption of undiversified diet are the main cause for undernutrition. There is limited information regarding the association between dietary diversity and undernutrition in Tanzania. The objective of this paper was to examine to what extent the dietary diversity is associated with undernutrition of children of 6 to 23 months in Tanzania.Methods This is a secondary data analysis from data collected by the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey of 2015-2016. Stunting, wasting and underweight were calculated from Z-scores based on 2006 WHO standards. A dietary diversity score was created by summing the number of food groups reported for each child by the mother ranging from 0 to 7. Then, a Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) indicator was used to assess the diversity of the diet given to children. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to assess the odds ratios of becoming undernourished.Results A total of 2,960 children were enrolled in this study. The majority (73.9%) of children did not reach the recommended Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD). The most commonly consumed types of foods were grains, roots and tubers (91%), and Vitamin A containing fruits and vegetables (65%). Consumption of a diverse diet was significantly associated with a reduction of stunting, wasting and being underweight in children. The likelihood of being stunted, wasted and underweight was found to decrease as the number of food group consumed increased. Children who did not received an MDD diet had a significantly higher likelihood of being stunted (AOR=1.37, 95% CI; 1.13-1.65) and underweight (AOR=1.49, 95% CI; 1.15-1.92), but this was not the case for wasting. Consumption of animal source foods has been found to be associated with reduced stunting among children.Conclusion Consumption of a diverse diet was associated with a reduction in undernutrition among children of 6 to 23 months in Tanzania. Measures to improve the type of complementary foods in order to meet the energy and nutritional demands of children should be considered in Tanzania.

Download Full-text

Poor Adherence to the WHO Guidelines on Feeding Practices Increases the Risk for Respiratory Infections in Surinamese Preschool Children

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182010739 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (20) ◽

pp. 10739

Author(s):

Jill R. Wormer ◽

Arti Shankar ◽

Michael Boele Van Hensbroek ◽

Ashna D. Hindori-Mohangoo ◽

Hannah Covert ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Respiratory Infections ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Infant And Young Child ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Tract Infections

Poor feeding practices in infants and young children may lead to malnutrition, which, in turn, is associated with an increased risk of infectious diseases, such as respiratory tract infections (RTIs), a leading cause of under-five mortality. We explored the association between RTIs and the WHO infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators: minimum dietary diversity (MDD), minimum meal frequency (MMF), and minimum acceptable diet (MAD), among infants and preschool children in Suriname. A validated pediatric food frequency questionnaire was used and data on RTIs, defined as clinical care for fever with respiratory symptoms, bronchitis, or pneumonia were obtained. Associations between feeding indicators and RTIs were explored using hierarchical logistic regression. Of 763 children aged 10–33 months, 51.7% achieved the MDD, 88.5% the MMF, and 46.5% the MAD. Furthermore, 73% of all children experienced at least one upper and/or lower RTI. Children meeting the MDD and MAD had significantly lower odds on RTIs (OR 0.53; 95%CI: 0.37–0.74, p < 0.001; OR 0.55; 95%CI: 0.39–0.78, p < 0.001, respectively). The covariates parity and household income were independently associated with RTIs. In conclusion, MDD and MAD were associated with (upper) RTIs. Whether these indicators can be used as predictors for increased risk for RTIs should be assessed in future prospective studies.

Download Full-text

Improving caregivers’ infant and young child-feeding practices using a three-group food guide: A randomized intervention study in central Uganda

African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development ◽

10.18697/ajfand.99.20240 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (04) ◽

pp. 17834-17853

Author(s):

Edward Kansiime ◽

◽

MK Kabahenda ◽

E Bonsi ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Child ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Dietary Diversity ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Growth Patterns ◽

Control Group ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Child Feeding Practices ◽

Infant And Young Child

Despite improvements in food production and healthcare services, the burden of malnutrition in Uganda has for the last 30yearsremained unacceptably high with rates of stunting (chronic undernutrition) and anemia (proxy for micronutrient deficiency) currently estimated at 29% and 53%,respectively among young children aged 6-59 months. Considering that both undernutrition and over nutrition are greatly attributed to monotonous diets characterized by limited dietary diversity and overdependence on starchy refined grains or roots as staples,there is need to improve the population’s awareness of appropriate dietary practices. To improve nutrition education, the Infant and Young Child-feeding national counseling cards for community volunteers (IYCF cards)that were developed by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), are currently the standard package used in Uganda’s health sector to educate caregivers on appropriate child-feeding practices. In this study, the effectiveness of a three-group food guide was evaluated against IYCF cards.A randomized, controlled intervention trial engaged three randomly selected distant groups of child-caregiver pairs (n=40) concurrently in one of three treatments namely: (i) nutrition education using a three-foodgroup guide (FG), (ii) nutrition education using age-appropriate IYCF cards, and (iii) negative control group that engaged in hair-plaiting sessions. At baseline, all groups had randomly selected caregivers of children aged 6-14 months and were met once a week for five consecutive weeks during the intervention. Caregivers were interviewed at baseline and 2 months after the interventions to determine changes in child-feeding practices while their children were concurrently measured to determine changes in their nutritional status.At baseline, caregivers in the three treatment arms exhibited inappropriate child-feeding practices indicated by low child-feeding index (CFI) scores,which were also related to poor nutritional status of their children. After the interventions, children in FG group were given more varied animal-source foods than those in IYCF cards group (p =0.02). Compared to controls, caregivers in FG group gave their children significantly more snacks (p = 0.01), their child-feeding practices indicated by CFI scores significantly improved (p = 0.001) and their children exhibited better growth patterns indicated by weight-for-age (p = 0.02) and MUAC-for-age (p = 0.03) Z-scores.These findings,therefore,indicate that the three-group food guide is more likely to improve child-feeding practices and growth patterns than IYCF cards.Hence, there is need to integrate the food guide into IYCF materials to foster child-feeding practices and growth.

Download Full-text