Minimum Meal Frequency Practice and Its Associated Factors among Children Aged 6–23 Months in Amibara District, North East Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Minimum meal frequency, a proxy indicator for a child's energy requirements, examines the number of times children received foods other than breast milk. Without adequate diversity and meal frequency, infants and young children are vulnerable to malnutrition, especially stunting and micronutrient deficiencies, and increased morbidity and mortality. In Ethiopia, only 45% of children had fed with an age-appropriate minimum meal frequency. OBJECTIVE: The study was aimed to assess the minimal meal frequency practice, and its associated factors among children aged 6–23 months in Amibara district, North East Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 07–May 23, 2018. Systematic random sampling technique was applied to select 367 children aged 6–23 months. The univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses model was used to identify potential predictors of meeting minimum meal frequency. All variables with P values <0.25 in the univariable analysis were taken to multivariable analysis, and variables at P values <0.05 were considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: The study revealed a prevalence of minimum meal frequency 69.2% (95% CI: 0.64–0.74). Timely initiation of breastfeeding (AOR = 2.2, 95% CI (1.17, 4.18)), current breastfeeding status (AOR = 7.5, 95% CI (3.95, 14.4)), meeting minimum dietary diversity (AOR = 3.7, 95% CI (1.85, 7.44)), and household hunger scale (AOR = 5.3, 95% CI (1.5, 12.5)) were some of the significant predictors to achieve minimum meal frequency. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of minimum meal frequency practice is low in the study area. Current breastfeeding status, timely initiation of breastfeeding, no/little household hunger scale, and meeting minimum dietary diversity were found as significant predictors for minimum meal frequency practice. Mothers having children aged 6–23 months should be aware and practice appropriate infant and young child feeding practices including timely initiation of breastfeeding, breastfeeding till the child celebrate his/her second birthday, recommended meal frequency, and dietary diversity practice. In addition, households should be assessed and strengthened for food security.