Measuring child food poverty: understanding the gap to achieving minimum dietary diversity
Abstract Objective: The aim of this study is to analyse complementary feeding practices, to assess the extent to which minimum dietary diversity (MDD) recommendations are being met in the population studied and to study factors that influence the achievement of MDD. Design: We pooled individual...
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Public Health Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025000023/type/journal_article |
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| author | Sebastian Vollmer Arnaud Laillou Nora Albers Simeon Nanama |
| author_facet | Sebastian Vollmer Arnaud Laillou Nora Albers Simeon Nanama |
| author_sort | Sebastian Vollmer |
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Abstract
Objective:
The aim of this study is to analyse complementary feeding practices, to assess the extent to which minimum dietary diversity (MDD) recommendations are being met in the population studied and to study factors that influence the achievement of MDD.
Design:
We pooled individual level data form the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multi Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). We apply methods from poverty measurement to identify individual gaps towards achieving MDD. We further identify food groups that separate children who achieve MDD from those who do not.
Setting:
West and Central Africa.
Participants:
62 257 children aged between 6 and 23 months.
Results:
82·0 per cent of children do not achieve MDD and on average are lacking 2·5 out of five required food groups. For 19·0 per cent of children, the gap to MDD is one food group and for 23·7 per cent of children the gap is two food groups. Consumption of eggs, other fruits and vegetables as well as legumes and nuts is particularly low among children who are not achieving MDD. More than 90·0 per cent of children who do not achieve MDD do not consume these food groups compared to around half of children who achieve MDD.
Conclusions:
Overall MDD is low, but there is large potential for improving MDD achievement if food consumption can be increased by one or two food groups. Available, affordable and culturally accepted food groups are identified that could be prioritised in interventions to close this gap.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f500051fffce4aaf80083ceeec6c3930 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1368-9800 1475-2727 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-f500051fffce4aaf80083ceeec6c39302025-01-30T07:37:43ZengCambridge University PressPublic Health Nutrition1368-98001475-27272025-01-012810.1017/S1368980025000023Measuring child food poverty: understanding the gap to achieving minimum dietary diversitySebastian Vollmer0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7863-0462Arnaud Laillou1Nora Albers2Simeon Nanama3University of Goettingen, Waldweg 26, Göttingen 37073, GermanyUNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office, Immeuble Madjiguène, Route des Almadies. PO Box 29720, Dakar, SenegalUniversity of Goettingen, Waldweg 26, Göttingen 37073, GermanyUNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office, Immeuble Madjiguène, Route des Almadies. PO Box 29720, Dakar, Senegal Abstract Objective: The aim of this study is to analyse complementary feeding practices, to assess the extent to which minimum dietary diversity (MDD) recommendations are being met in the population studied and to study factors that influence the achievement of MDD. Design: We pooled individual level data form the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multi Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). We apply methods from poverty measurement to identify individual gaps towards achieving MDD. We further identify food groups that separate children who achieve MDD from those who do not. Setting: West and Central Africa. Participants: 62 257 children aged between 6 and 23 months. Results: 82·0 per cent of children do not achieve MDD and on average are lacking 2·5 out of five required food groups. For 19·0 per cent of children, the gap to MDD is one food group and for 23·7 per cent of children the gap is two food groups. Consumption of eggs, other fruits and vegetables as well as legumes and nuts is particularly low among children who are not achieving MDD. More than 90·0 per cent of children who do not achieve MDD do not consume these food groups compared to around half of children who achieve MDD. Conclusions: Overall MDD is low, but there is large potential for improving MDD achievement if food consumption can be increased by one or two food groups. Available, affordable and culturally accepted food groups are identified that could be prioritised in interventions to close this gap. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025000023/type/journal_articleComplementary feedingFoodAfricaMDDMinimum dietary diversityEggs |
| spellingShingle | Sebastian Vollmer Arnaud Laillou Nora Albers Simeon Nanama Measuring child food poverty: understanding the gap to achieving minimum dietary diversity Public Health Nutrition Complementary feeding Food Africa MDD Minimum dietary diversity Eggs |
| title | Measuring child food poverty: understanding the gap to achieving minimum dietary diversity |
| title_full | Measuring child food poverty: understanding the gap to achieving minimum dietary diversity |
| title_fullStr | Measuring child food poverty: understanding the gap to achieving minimum dietary diversity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Measuring child food poverty: understanding the gap to achieving minimum dietary diversity |
| title_short | Measuring child food poverty: understanding the gap to achieving minimum dietary diversity |
| title_sort | measuring child food poverty understanding the gap to achieving minimum dietary diversity |
| topic | Complementary feeding Food Africa MDD Minimum dietary diversity Eggs |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1368980025000023/type/journal_article |
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