ArticleBMJ open2025
Minimum meal frequency and its associated factors among children aged 6-23 months in the cash crop district of Kercha, Southern Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study.
Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
objectiveDespite efforts to improve feeding practices globally, 48% of children do not meet the recommended minimum meal frequency. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess minimum meal frequency and its associated factors in children aged 6-23 months in cash crop districts of Kercha, Southern Ethiopia.
designA community-based cross-sectional design was used to conduct this study from 29 February 2024 to 29 March 2024.
settingKercha district, Southern Ethiopia
participantsA total of 543 children aged 6-23 months were selected using a multistage sampling technique. PRIMARY OUTCOME: The primary outcome of this study was minimum meal frequency, defined as the percentage of children aged 6-23 months who consumed solid, semisolid or soft foods (including milk for non-breastfed children) at least the required number of times for their age in the previous day. SECONDARY OUTCOME: The secondary outcome of this study was factors associated with minimum meal frequency. Bivariable and multivariable multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression analyses were performed to find factors related to minimum meal frequency. Adjusted ORs (AORs) with 95% CIs and p values <0.05 were used to assess the strength and significance of the associations.
resultsA total of 539 (99.3%) children aged 6-23 months and their mothers participated in this study. The prevalence of minimum meal frequency was 62.3% (95% CI 58.1% to 66.4%) among children in the cash crop district of Kercha. The final model yielded an intracluster correlation coefficient of 7.3%, reflecting unexplained variations in the prevalence of minimum meal frequency among children at the kebele level. Factors associated with higher odds of meeting minimum meal frequency included being a first-born child (AOR 2.91, 95% CI 1.06 to 8.05), mothers (AOR 2.66, 95% CI 1.48 to 4.76) and fathers (AOR 3.43, 95% CI 1.98 to 5.95) with primary education, having mother attending postnatal visits (AOR 2.74, 95% CI 1.52 to 4.94), introducing additional food at 6 months (AOR 4.71, 95% CI 2.79 to 7.94), good maternal knowledge on child feeding (AOR 1.98, 95% CI 1.21 to 3.22) and living in the household with medium (AOR 2.98, 95% CI 1.59 to 5.53) and rich (AOR 2.39, 95% CI 1.37 to 4.18) wealth status.
conclusionsThe study revealed that only three-fifths of children met the recommended minimum meal frequency. Birth order, introducing additional foods at 6 months, parental education, maternal postnatal visits, good maternal knowledge on child feeding and wealth were linked to minimum meal frequency. To improve child nutrition, it is crucial to enhance maternal education, increase access to postnatal healthcare and educate parents about the importance of introducing additional foods at 6 months.
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