Socio-Economic Correlates of Complementary Feeding Practices Among Infants and Toddlers in Punjab
Author: Saeedullah Khan

Poor complementary feeding practices are one of the important factors of malnutrition in infant and toddler. Complementary feeding is defined as “the process starting when breast milk alone is no longer sufficient to meet the nutritional requirements of infants and therefore other foods and liquids are needed along with breast milk”. Minimum Acceptable Diet used as a proxy for measuring complementary feeding, it is the combination of Minimum Dietary Diversity and Minimum Meal Frequency. Malnutrition (undernutrition) is a Global problem particularly for developing countries carrying immense health consequences, mortality, and morbidity. Pakistan is also facing a double burden of nutrition due to unbalance and poor diet in this context a study on complementary feeding is of utmost importance. The objective of the present study is to find the prevalence and correlation between the Minimum Acceptable Diet and Socio-economic and demographic factors using MICS Punjab 2017-18 data. The end result of the present research shows that only 14% breastfeed infants and toddlers (6-23 months) take Minimum Acceptable Diet in Punjab. Study results of binary logistic regression revealed that household economic status, infants and toddler’s age, mother having higher education significantly correlated with a minimum acceptable diet. While Child gender and Place of residence are insignificantly correlated with minimum acceptable diet. Therefore it is time to include strategies in the country’s health plans to increase the rate of complementary feeding practices in Punjab. This will provide a road map to minimize malnutrition, mortality, and morbidity among infants and toddlers. Supervisor:- Dr. RizwanUl Haq

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Supervisor: Rizwan ul Haq

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