Prevalence of Optimal Child Feeding Practice and Associated Factors in Children Aged 0- 24 Months Among Mothers in Coffee Producing Household in Jimma Zone .

Abstract

Introduction Optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) is presented as, as a global public health recommendation infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional needs, they should receive safe and nutritionally adequate complementary food, while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond. Exclusive breastfeeding from birth is possible except for a few rare medical conditions as specified by WHO and UNICEF, and virtually every mother can breastfeed. Although Ethiopian Government has developed IYCF guideline in 2005 and deployed health extension workers to give door to door services, the extent to which this intended behaviors are being practiced at grass root level is not well evaluated. Especially, there is no study which evaluated optimal child feeding practice among children in coffee growing households. Objective: To assess the prevalence of optimal IYCF and associated factors among children less than 24 months in coffee producing households in Jimma zone, southwestern Ethiopia, from march- april,2015 Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was carried out from March 15,2015-April2015 among mothers of under two years old children in coffee producing households of Jimma zone. Multi-stage stratified clustered sampling design was used. Face to face interviewer questionnaire was used to get information from the respondents. Multivariable logistic regression was used to isolate independents predictors of Optimal IYCF practices. P-value less than 0.05 consider as statistically significant. Result: The prevalence of optimal child feeding is 38.1% and timely initiation of breast feeding (TIBF), exclusive breast feeding(EBF), timely initiation of complementary(TICF), and continuation of breast feeding up 24 month (CBFup24month) was 80.8%,67.7%,41.7% and 91.3% respectively. On multivariable logistic regression model factors associated with optimal child feeding were, age of mother (AOR=1.051[95%CI:1.001,1.104]), age difference between spouse AOR=1.039[95%CI:1.002,1.079]) Age of father(AOR=0.947[95%CI:0.902,0.995]),mothers attend primary education (AOR=0.691[95%CI:1.002,1.079]) and household head attend secondary education (AOR=1.494[95%CI: 1, 005, 2.222]). Conclusion and recommendation: Optimal IYFC practice is low in the study community. Sociodemographic variables educational status, mother age, educational status of the household head and the spouse and Age of father significantly associated optimal child feeding. Factors associated with optimal child feeding should be taken into account while designing intervention strategies and in promotion of strong community based networks using Health Extension Workers and local community resource people including women’s development army. Findings for this study have significant input in the promotion of optimal child feeding practices for stunting reduction.