Prevalence and determinants of minimum acceptable diet among children between 6–23 months attending an immunization clinic in a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Background:  The Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD), a composite measure defined by WHO and UNICEF, assesses both Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) and Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF). However, only a small proportion of Indian children achieve MAD, increasing their risk of undernutrition and stunting.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of MAD and identify associated socio-demographic factors among children attending an immunization clinic at a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Immunization Clinic of Maharaja Jitendra Narayan Medical College and Hospital, Cooch Behar, from September 17 to October 26, 2024. Using purposive sampling, 51 children under two years of age were enrolled. Data collection involved caregiver interviews and anthropometric measurements. Socio-demographic characteristics, feeding practices, and nutritional indicators were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics in Microsoft Excel and IBM-SPSS.

Results: The study found that 61.5% of children met the criteria for MAD. MDD was achieved by 64.1%, while MMF was met by 89.7%. Bivariate analysis shows decreased odds of receiving mini-mum acceptable diet with caregiver’s age between 31-40 years (OR=0.429), and 21-30 years (OR=0.364), Islam religion (OR=0.350 and male child (OR=0.788. Higher odds of receiving mini-mum acceptable diet was seen in mothers with >10 years (OR= 6.750) and 5-10 years (OR=5.250) of schooling; nuclear families (OR=1.964); Middle class as per BG Prasad scale (OR=3.33); age of child (OR=2.8) and children with 0-1 siblings (OR=2.0).

Conclusion: The findings emphasize the importance of maternal education and socioeconomic status in achieving optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. Strengthening educational programs and economic support initiatives for caregivers can significantly enhance child nutrition outcomes in India. Future research should explore seasonality and broader demographic variations to refine targeted nutrition interventions.