Dietary diversity, adequate vitamin A-rich food consumption and their associated factors among lactating mothers in South Ethiopia: a food frequency questionnaire-based study.

INTRODUCTION

Lactating mothers in low-income countries frequently experience low dietary diversity and inadequate vitamin A-rich food consumption. This can lead to micronutrient deficiencies, which increase the risk of intergenerational malnutrition and mortality. Regardless of this, there is limited research on dietary diversity and vitamin A-rich food consumption among lactating mothers in the study area.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prevalence of dietary diversity, adequate vitamin A-rich food consumption and associated factors among lactating mothers in Arba Minch Zuria district, Southern Ethiopia.

STUDY

DESIGN

A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed.

SETTING AND

PARTICIPANTS

This study was conducted among 410 randomly selected lactating mothers from the Arba Minch Zuria district, Southern Ethiopia.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: The data were collected by trained data collectors through a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Bivariate logistic regression was conducted to select candidate variables, and a multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the association. A p value<0.05 with corresponding 95% CI was used to test statistical significance.

RESULTS

The prevalence of minimum dietary diversity was 44.1% (95% CI 39.3% to 48.9%); family size (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.92; 95% CI 1.09 to 3.397), meal frequency (AOR 3.43, 95% CI 1.69 to 6.95), home gardening (AOR=3.56; 95% CI 1.99 to 6.37), postnatal care follow-up (AOR=2.73, 95% CI 1.54-4.837) and food security (AOR=2.067; 95% CI 1.237 to 3.45) were significantly associated with dietary diversity among lactating mothers. Adequate consumption of vitamin A-rich food was 24.6% (95% CI 20.5% to 28.9%); educational status (AOR=3.604; 95% CI 1.635 to 7.94), antenatal care follow-up (AOR=2.73; 95% CI 1.03 to 7.28) and home gardening (AOR=2.21; 95% CI 1.11 to 4.34) were significantly associated with it.

CONCLUSION

Nearly half of the lactating mothers in the study area achieved the minimum dietary diversity; family size, meal frequency, home gardening, postnatal care and food security were factors significantly associated. Almost one-fourth of the mothers consumed adequate vitamin A-rich food; educational status, antenatal care follow-up and home gardening were significantly associated with it.