1. Tefera Chane (BSc, MPH-PHN)
Dietary diversity and Meal frequency among children 6-23 months of age in Wolaita Sodo town, Southern Ethiopia
Tefera Chane (BSc, MPH-PHN)

2. Introduction
Dietary diversity(DD) is an important component of dietary quality; consumption of a higher number of food items and food groups is associated with improved nutritional adequacy of the die.
Labadarios et, at., 2011
Meal frequency is considered a proxy for energy intake from foods other than breast milk (WHO, 2007)
However, the percentage of children who fulfil the minimum recommendation of DD and acceptable diet were < 10% at national level and >20% and 40% of children(<5yrs) were underweight and stunted EDHS, 2011

3. Objective General objective
To assess dietary diversity and meal frequency of feeding practices among children 6-23 months in Wolaita Sodo town, Southern Ethiopia Mar
Specific Objectives
To measure minimum dietary diversity
To measure minimum meal frequency
To identify factors associated with MDD and MMF

4. Methods and Materials Study Design, Area and Period:
community-based cross-sectional study was employed from March 1-15, 2015 in Wolaita Sodo town
Sample size Estimation & Sampling Technique
using Epi-info version 7 by assuming:
95% of CI and 80% of power, ratio of 0.5, p=4,proportion uneducated mothers CF 42.9% , OR= &10% of non-respondent= 623
7 administrative units selected randomly from 11 administrative units &Systematic sampling technique used.

5. Data Measurements Minimum dietary diversity-
children 6–23 months of age received ≥ four food groups during the previous day.
Minimum meal frequency:
breastfed and non-breastfed children 6–23 months of age received solid, semi-solid, or soft foods the minimum number of times or more.
6-8 months of age: 2 or 3 meals with 1-2 snacks
9-23 months of age: 3 or 4 meals with 1-2 snacks
non-breastfed of age 6-23 months: least twice a day.
Khanal et,al., 2013; WHO, 2008

6. Data management and analysis
Epi-Data for Data entry
SPSS version 21 for analysis.
Missed data were explored and normality for continuous variables was checked.
Dietary diversity score (DDS) was computed out of seven from seven food groups.
Binary logistic regression was done for the two outcome variables of MDD and MMF.

7. Result and Discussion Socio-Demographic and economic status :
605(99%) of participants were biological mothers.
mean age of mothers= 26.7 yrs with ± 4.8 SD
2/3 (65%) of the respondents’ occupational status were house wives
>2/3 of the households (70.9%) were found in the poor category socio-economic status.
351(57.4%) were boys.
mean age of children= 13.8mons (± 4.9 SD).
12-18 mons constituted 40.8% of the rest age groups

8. Dietary Diversity and Meal Frequency
children who meet the requirement of MDD was 27.3% (95% CI :23.7%-30.8%).
And MMF for both breastfed and non-breastfed children was 68.9% (95% CI: 65.2%-72.6%).
minimum acceptable diet was 19.8% (95% CI: 17.8% %).
Half of 6-8 months of children (50.9%) were met the requirement of MDD as compared to children months of age (22.3%)

9. Dietary Diversity and Meal Frequency
These findings were higher than results from Northwest part of Ethiopia and EDHS:
with MDD of 12.6% and MMF of 50.4%)
10.8% and 44.7% of children meet MMD and MMF
Eritrea(19% & 44%), Guinea (18% &30%) & India(12% & 44%)
Beyene, 2015; EDHS,2011; WHO,2010
However, in this study MDD was much lower than findings from Kenya(45%), Zambia (37%),Indonesia (65%)and Morocco(66%) (WHO, 2010)
And also the finding of the study was consistent with survey results from Tanzania, Uganda and Nepal.
Gewa, 2015; Khanal, 2013

10. Complementary feeding practices

11. Factors associated with MDD &MMF
government employed and house wife, younger children were more likely met the recommended dietary diversity.
This report is supported by finding from Nepal.
government employed and illiterate mothers were less likely to fed their child frequently and girls were more likely to get frequent diets. This is go inline with report Tanzania and Northwest Ethiopia.
But report from Uganda revealed that maternal education did not show association with meal frequency Beyene, 2015; Gewa, 2015

12. Conclusion and Recommendation
Good progresses were observed as compared to the national figures but insignificant as weighted against developed countries.
Particularly MDD in the study site was inadequate.
MDD &MMF were affected by household occupational status, maternal education, child sex and age.
Despite of the observed better achievement, much is expected to increase percentage of IYCF core indicators(MDD &MMF).
Emphasis should be given to increase maternal literacy and employment opportunity because they are the proxy and decisive stakeholders for better child feeding practices.

13. Thank you all for your attention and patience !!!