Sociodemographic factors associated with inadequate food group consumption and dietary diversity among infants and young children in Nepal

Infants and young children need diversified diets to grow healthy. However, there is limited evidence on factors associated with consumption of various food groups. This study aimed to identify the sociodemographic factors associated with inadequate food group consumption and not meeting the minimum dietary diversity (MDD) among infants and young children aged 6-23 months in Nepal. Using cross-sectional data from the 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, the factors at the individual-, household-, and community-levels associated with not consuming foods from the seven food groups, which are grains, roots and tubers, legumes and nuts, dairy products, flesh foods, eggs, vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables, and other fruits and vegetables, and not meeting the MDD were examined. The least consumed food group was eggs, followed by flesh foods and 46.5% of children received the MDD. Children aged 6-11 months had higher odds of not consuming foods from the seven food groups and not meeting the MDD than older children. Children from the poorest quintile had higher odds of not consuming legumes and nuts, dairy products, flesh foods, and other fruits and vegetables, and not meeting the MDD. Children from Terai/Madhesi Other had higher odds of not consuming foods from the seven food groups compared to those from the other groups. Children from Province 2 had higher odds of not consuming eggs, vitamin-A rich fruits and vegetables, and other fruits and vegetables, and not meeting the MDD. Dietary diversity among children in Nepal needs improvement. National policies and programs need to promote the consumption of diverse food groups by considering different sociodemographic characteristics.