A BSTRACT Background: The Infant and Child Feeding Index (ICFI) is a comprehensive, age-specific measure that evaluates the overall feeding practices of infants and young children. This study aimed to evaluate the feeding practices of children in Kabul, Afghanistan, and explore the relationship of ICFI with the nutritional status of children aged 6–23 months. Methods: The World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards were employed to assess undernutrition. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between ICFI and the nutritional status of the children. Results: Approximately half of the children (47.3%; n = 182) were boys, while 203 (52.7%) were girls. Colostrum feeding was common among 84% of mothers, while 54% of mothers started breastfeeding after 1 hour of birth. Concerning complementary feeding practices, 21.8% of mothers started before six months, while 17.1% after six months. However, 54% of mothers did not practice exclusive breastfeeding. Most children (67%) had a low ICFI score, with only 3.9% falling into the high ICFI category. Notably, a lower ICFI score was significantly associated with underweight ( P < 0.5). Conclusion: The present study’s findings revealed that a majority of children had low ICFI scores. ICFI indices and stunting or wasting had no significant association, but there was a significant relationship between the ICFI indices and underweight. Additionally, unhealthy practices were common among mothers. To address this, a comprehensive nutrition program is necessary to promote good feeding and dietary practices, which could help reduce undernutrition among children.
Haq et al. (Sun,) studied this question.