Complementary Feeding Hygiene Practice and Associated Factors Among Mothers with Children Aged 6-24 Months in Tegedie District, Northwest Ethiopia: Community Based Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Habtam Ayenew Teshome, Walelegn Worku Yallew, Jember Azanaw, Gardew Tadege and Agerie Mengistie Zeleke

Introduction: The hygienic practices of mothers during complementary feeding are crucial in the protection of vulnerable infants and children aged 6–24 months from childhood communicable diseases like diarrhea and malnutrition. However, sufficient evidence on the hygienic practices of mothers during complementary feeding and their associated factors is limited.

Objective: To determine the levels of complementary feeding hygiene practice and its associated factors among mothers of children aged 6–24 months in the Tegedie district, northwest Ethiopia.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 17 to April 17, 2021, among 576 mothers with children aged 6–24 months in the Tegedie district, northwest Ethiopia. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire administered by an interviewer and entered into Epi-data version 4.6 before being exported to SPSS version 20.0 for cleaning and further analysis. Bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were employed to identify predictors of complementary feeding hygiene practice with p-value < 0.25 that entered into the multivariable logistic regression model. Then variables with a p-value of 0.05 in multivariable logistic regressions were considered statistically significant.

Results: The prevalence of hygienic practice during complementary feeding of their children aged 6–24 months was 33.6%, with 95% (CI 29.7% to 37.6%) of them having good practice. Living in an urban area [AOR = 7.02, 95% CI: (4.14, 11.88)], the presence of a handwashing facility near the latrine [AOR = 3.02, 95% CI: (1.18, 7.70)], the presence of a separate area to store raw and cooked foods [AOR = 5.87, 95% CI: (2.84, 12.13)], and the presence of a three-compartment dish washing system [AOR = 5.70,CI: (3.41, 9.54)] were predictors of practicing good hygienic complementary feeding.

Conclusion and Recommendation: The prevalence of good hygienic practices during complementary feeding among mothers is still low; the district health office and health extension workers should work to improve maternal hygienic practices during complementary feeding.

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