Feeding Practices and Their Correlation with Nutritional Status of Children Aged 6–24 Months in Rural Sagar, Madhya Pradesh: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Complementary feeding practices are a key modifiable determinant of undernutrition in children aged 6–24 months. Madhya Pradesh reports among the highest rates of minimum dietary diversity failure in India, yet rural, block-level correlational data from Sagar district are scarce.

Objectives: To assess complementary feeding practices and to determine their correlation with the nutritional status of children aged 6–24 months in rural Sagar.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 425 children aged 6–24 months in the rural field practice area of Sagar, using multistage random sampling. Complementary feeding practices were assessed using WHO/UNICEF (2021) IYCF indicators via a pre-tested questionnaire and 24-hour dietary recall; nutritional status was classified using WHO Child Growth Standards. Analysis was performed using SPSS v26, with chi-square test, odds ratio, and multivariate logistic regression.

Results: Minimum Dietary Diversity was met by 31.1% and Minimum Acceptable Diet by only 22.6% of children. Overall, 35.1% of children were stunted, 19.1% wasted, and 30.8% underweight. Inadequate dietary diversity (χ²=15.80, p<0.001; OR=2.61, 95% CI: 1.63–4.18), inadequate meal frequency (p<0.001; OR=2.28), and failure to achieve MAD (p<0.001; OR=4.09) were significantly associated with stunting. On multivariate analysis, MAD not achieved (AOR=2.92), inadequate MDD (AOR=2.14), maternal illiteracy (AOR=1.96), and lower socioeconomic status (AOR=1.71) independently predicted stunting.

Conclusion: A high burden of undernutrition coexists with poor complementary feeding practices in rural Sagar. Strengthening dietary diversity and meal frequency through Anganwadi/ASHA-led IYCF counselling under POSHAN 2.0 is warranted.