Poor Feeding Practices during Childhood Illnesses in Rural Pastoralist Communities of Afar, North Eastern Ethiopia: A cross sectional study

AbstractBackground: Nutritionally adequate and safe food that meet the criteria of dietary diversity and feeding frequency during childhood illnesses would reduce susceptibility to common childhood illnesses and help develop better resistance. However, poor feeding practices that do not meet the additional nutrient requirements during common childhood illnesses are still prevalent in the pastoralist communities of Afar, North East Ethiopia.Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the factors associated with parental feeding practices during common childhood illnesses in rural pastoralist communities of Afar, North Eastern Ethiopia.Methods: Cross sectional study was conducted in Zone one of Afar Region, North East Ethiopia from June to July, 2016. In Zone one there are eight Woredas and 36 Kebelles/villages. A total of 600 women who have under five years children were screened for childhood illness. Then, 255 women with children who have diarrhea, fever or cough/pneumonia in the past two weeks prior to the study were included. A two-stage cluster sampling technique was used to select Kebelles and households based on proportion to population size. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with feeding practices. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software and statistical significance was set at p<0.05.Results: Feeding practices during common childhood illnesses were poor. Very few proportions of the ill children were offered foods more than usual. Only 5.2% children with diarrhea, 5.8% with cough and 4.2% with fever were offered foods more than usual. Only 34.5% children with diarrhea, 35.1% with cough and 36.4% children with fever received additional fluids. The independent predictors of feeding practices during childhood illnesses were the availability of household assets (AOR 0.32, 95%CI: 0.12, 0.88), maternal knowledge about the frontline workers (AOR 0.24, 95%CI: 0.07, 0.86), ever use of vaccination cards (AOR 4.47, 95%CI: 1.78, 11.19) and information regarding danger signs of fever (AOR 7.57, 95%CI: 1.50, 38.17).Conclusions: Infant and young children feeding practices during common childhood illnesses were far from optimal. Improving economic status at family level, provision of nutrition education during house to house, antenatal care and well baby clinic visits, and building the capacity of mothers to recognize danger signs during common childhood illnesses are important interventions.