Level of dietary diversity score and its predictors among children aged 6–23 months: a linear mixed model analysis of the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic Health Survey

Background The dietary diversity score (DDS) of children is one of the indicators as part of infant and young child feeding practices. This study aimed to assess the level of DDS and its determinants among Ethiopian children aged 6–23 months.Methods This study analysed retrospective cross-sectional...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kusse Urmale Mare, Getahun Fentaw Mulaw, Osman Ahmed Mohammed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2024-07-01
Series:BMJ Public Health
Online Access:https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000840.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832583291188805632
author Kusse Urmale Mare
Getahun Fentaw Mulaw
Osman Ahmed Mohammed
author_facet Kusse Urmale Mare
Getahun Fentaw Mulaw
Osman Ahmed Mohammed
author_sort Kusse Urmale Mare
collection DOAJ
description Background The dietary diversity score (DDS) of children is one of the indicators as part of infant and young child feeding practices. This study aimed to assess the level of DDS and its determinants among Ethiopian children aged 6–23 months.Methods This study analysed retrospective cross-sectional data on a weighted sample of 1511 children aged 6–23 months after extracting it from the Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey 2019. A a linear mixed model was fitted and expressed as adjusted beta coefficients with a 95% CI. Finally, predictors with a p value <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Measures of variation were explained by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and model fitness was determined using the Akaike information criterion.Result The mean (±SD) DDS of children was 2.8 (±1.5). Only 56.3%, 13.4% and 11.6% of children met the minimum meal frequency (MMF), minimum dietary diversity score and minimum acceptable diet, respectively. The full model ICC was 0.266, which implied that 26.6% of the total variance of DDS among children was attributed to the differences between clusters. For a 1-month increase in the child’s age, the DDS of children will increase by 0.016 units, holding all other variables constant. Also, for every 1-year increase in maternal education, a 0.057-unit increase in the DDS of children is predicted. Children from wealthy families, having mothers who have had media exposure, meeting MMF and taking fewer than 30 min to reach a nearby water supply have been proven to increase the DDS.Conclusion In Ethiopia, the DDS of children is very low. To improve DDS enhancing maternal literacy, revenue production activities, media exposure and access to water sources should be prioritised. The significance of feeding children regularly throughout the day should be emphasised.
format Article
id doaj-art-3a1714d284e04ebd869335253be040dd
institution Kabale University
issn 2753-4294
language English
publishDate 2024-07-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series BMJ Public Health
spelling doaj-art-3a1714d284e04ebd869335253be040dd2025-01-28T17:20:10ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Public Health2753-42942024-07-012110.1136/bmjph-2023-000840Level of dietary diversity score and its predictors among children aged 6–23 months: a linear mixed model analysis of the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic Health SurveyKusse Urmale Mare0Getahun Fentaw Mulaw1Osman Ahmed Mohammed2Department of Nursing, Samara University, Samara, Afar, EthiopiaSchool of Public Health, College of Health and Medical Science, Woldia University, Woldia, Amhara, EthiopiaDepartment of Nursing, Samara University, Samara, EthiopiaBackground The dietary diversity score (DDS) of children is one of the indicators as part of infant and young child feeding practices. This study aimed to assess the level of DDS and its determinants among Ethiopian children aged 6–23 months.Methods This study analysed retrospective cross-sectional data on a weighted sample of 1511 children aged 6–23 months after extracting it from the Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey 2019. A a linear mixed model was fitted and expressed as adjusted beta coefficients with a 95% CI. Finally, predictors with a p value <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Measures of variation were explained by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and model fitness was determined using the Akaike information criterion.Result The mean (±SD) DDS of children was 2.8 (±1.5). Only 56.3%, 13.4% and 11.6% of children met the minimum meal frequency (MMF), minimum dietary diversity score and minimum acceptable diet, respectively. The full model ICC was 0.266, which implied that 26.6% of the total variance of DDS among children was attributed to the differences between clusters. For a 1-month increase in the child’s age, the DDS of children will increase by 0.016 units, holding all other variables constant. Also, for every 1-year increase in maternal education, a 0.057-unit increase in the DDS of children is predicted. Children from wealthy families, having mothers who have had media exposure, meeting MMF and taking fewer than 30 min to reach a nearby water supply have been proven to increase the DDS.Conclusion In Ethiopia, the DDS of children is very low. To improve DDS enhancing maternal literacy, revenue production activities, media exposure and access to water sources should be prioritised. The significance of feeding children regularly throughout the day should be emphasised.https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000840.full
spellingShingle Kusse Urmale Mare
Getahun Fentaw Mulaw
Osman Ahmed Mohammed
Level of dietary diversity score and its predictors among children aged 6–23 months: a linear mixed model analysis of the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic Health Survey
BMJ Public Health
title Level of dietary diversity score and its predictors among children aged 6–23 months: a linear mixed model analysis of the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic Health Survey
title_full Level of dietary diversity score and its predictors among children aged 6–23 months: a linear mixed model analysis of the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic Health Survey
title_fullStr Level of dietary diversity score and its predictors among children aged 6–23 months: a linear mixed model analysis of the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic Health Survey
title_full_unstemmed Level of dietary diversity score and its predictors among children aged 6–23 months: a linear mixed model analysis of the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic Health Survey
title_short Level of dietary diversity score and its predictors among children aged 6–23 months: a linear mixed model analysis of the 2019 Ethiopian Mini Demographic Health Survey
title_sort level of dietary diversity score and its predictors among children aged 6 23 months a linear mixed model analysis of the 2019 ethiopian mini demographic health survey
url https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000840.full
work_keys_str_mv AT kusseurmalemare levelofdietarydiversityscoreanditspredictorsamongchildrenaged623monthsalinearmixedmodelanalysisofthe2019ethiopianminidemographichealthsurvey
AT getahunfentawmulaw levelofdietarydiversityscoreanditspredictorsamongchildrenaged623monthsalinearmixedmodelanalysisofthe2019ethiopianminidemographichealthsurvey
AT osmanahmedmohammed levelofdietarydiversityscoreanditspredictorsamongchildrenaged623monthsalinearmixedmodelanalysisofthe2019ethiopianminidemographichealthsurvey