Publication: Dietary Diversity and its Associated Factors among Children Aged 6-59 Months in Madhyapur Thimi Municipality, Nepal
Date
2025
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Central Department of Public Health
Abstract
Background: Minimum dietary diversity for children (MDD-C) is a benchmark developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to assess diet diversity in infants and young children worldwide. The lack of such diet diversity among growing children, which often leads to malnutrition, has been considered a significant public health concern in Nepal. This study is to assess the dietary diversity and associated factors among children aged 6-59 months in wards 2 and 3 of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out by measuring the research variables in 2023 among the residents of wards number 2 (Jatigaal) and 3 (Kaushaltar) of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality. The survey was created and administered by the researchers themselves. The sample size of the study was 385. The survey includes a structured questionnaire to assess dietary diversity and associated factors among children aged 6-59 months. The association between the factors was measured by using Fisher’s Exact test.
Results: 73.5% of the study population fulfilled the minimum requirement of dietary diversity. Factors such as the mother’s educational status (p=0.002), mother’s ethnicity (p=0.015), monthly expenditure on food (p=0.001), awareness of communicable diseases (p=0.001), feeding times a day (p=0.001), personal hygiene practices status (p=0.004), and awareness of junk foods (p=0.001) showed a significant association with MDD-C.
Conclusion: Increasing mothers’ awareness about junk food, communicable diseases, and the importance of their hygiene practices via formal or informal education campaigns is necessary to increase the proportion of children meeting the MDD-C benchmark and prevent malnutrition.
Description
Abhishek Thapa
Nobel College, Nepal
https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7503-8515
Dipesh Baral
Washington State University, Pullman
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1121-6658
Pragati Dahal
University of Idaho, USA
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6361-5067
Jiban Kharel
Independent Researcher,USA
Archana Dangal
Practicing Registered Nurse, USA
Swastika Baral
Rupa Thapa
Nobel College, Nepal
Pratiksha Paudel
Kathmandu University, Nepal
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8400-6060
Renu Khadka
Nobel College, Nepal