Minimum dietary diversity and associated factors Among children aged 6-23 months in urban and rural Setting of bench sheko zone, south west ethiopia: Comparative cross sectional study

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