Understanding Complementary Feeding Practices in Children 6–23 Months in the West and Central Africa Region: A Mixed Methods Regional Analysis of 24 Countries (original) (raw)

2020, Current Developments in Nutrition

Objectives 1) To describe the trends of complementary feeding since 2010; 2) to understand the factors influencing the sub-optimal feeding practices; and 3) to generate recommendations to inform future interventions. Methods Mixed methods study with an iterative, two phase design. Phase 1: quantitative data analysis of 13 key complementary feeding indicators reported in 68 national survey reports from 2010 to 2018. Phase 2: semi-structured qualitative interviews with 14 regional informants (UN, Government, NGO, and donor communities). We conducted a literature review of grey and peer-reviewed publications in 2010–2019 to contextualize the results. Results Phase 1. Across 24 WCAR countries, mean continued breastfeeding at 1y was 89%, but halved to 44% by 2y. Introduction of complementary foods occurred in 64% of children 6–8 mos. Minimum meal frequency in children 6–23 mos increased over time from 27% to 38% while minimum dietary diversity and minimum acceptable diet were stagnant (2...