Abstract:
Background: A diet lacking in diversity can increase the risk of micronutrient deficiencies and other forms
of malnutrition. There are minimal studies showing minimum dietary practice in urban and rural settings
comparably. Hence, the present study intended to assess and compare differences in the level of dietary
diversity and its contributing factors in urban and rural settings of the Bench sheko zone.
Objective: The main objective of the study was to assess minimum dietary diversity and association factors
among child aged 6-23 month on rural and urban setting of Bench Sheko zone, Ethiopia, 2022.
Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted among children aged 6-23 months old
residing at rural and urban setting of Bench Sheko zone from June 5 to July 20/2022. Multi-stage sampling
technique was employed. Data were obtained by using interviewer administered structured questionnaire
and entered into epi data v.3.1 and then analyzed by SPSS v. 26. Bi-variable analysis was used to identify
factors of MDDS at p-value ≤0.25 then entered into multivariable logistic regression used to identify factors
associated with minimum dietary diversity where, p- value of 0.05 was used statically significant.
Results: A total of 736(368 urban and 368 rural subjects) were participated in the study making the response
rate of 93%. The proportion of children aged 6-23 months who meet minimum dietary diversity score
(MDDS) was 36.8%. From this 29.9 95% CI (25.3, 34.9) in rural and 43.8%, 95% CI (38.6, 49.0) in urban
setting met the MDDS. Anti natal care follow up status of the mother (AOR=4.403(95% CI (1.943-9.977),
meal frequency of a child (AOR= 4.55, 95% CI (1.725, 11.998)) were found to be significantly associated
with MDDS of children in rural settings. Maternal knowledge on MDDS and infant and young child feeding
(IYCF) (AOR=3.93, 95% CI (2.198, 7.027)) and (AOR=2.115, 95% CI (1.200-3.729)) were found to be
significantly associated with achieved MDDS of children aged 6-23 months in both rural and urban setting
respectively. Household food security status (AOR=2.057, 95% CI (1.165, 3.634)) & (AOR=3.085, 95% CI
(1.748-3.5.477)) were found to be significantly associated with MDDS in rural and urban settings
respectively.
Conclusion: The prevalence of minimum dietary diversity score among children aged 6-23 months residing
in rural settings were lower than children living in urban settings. having ANC follow up history, and child
having meal frequency ≥ 4 times per day were associated with MDDS at rural areas whereas maternal
nutritional knowledge and being food secure household had also found to be an independent predictor of
MDDS score at both rural and urban setting. Interventions should focus on the significant predictors at both
settings to increase proportion of children who consumed diversified food. Key words: Associated factors,
Bench Sheko zone, Children aged 6-23 years old, Dietary diversit
