Timely Initiation of Complementary Feeding and Associated Factors Among Children aged 6-23 Months in Negelle Arsi District, Southern Ethiopia, 2019: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background: The period of transition from exclusive breastfeeding to family foods, referred to as complementary feeding, covers a child from 6-23 months of age. According to World Health Organization 2015; untimely initiation of complementary feeding has negative effect on child health, growth and development and an important cause of under nutrition in children less than 5 years of age which is an underlying cause of more than 40% of morbidity and mortality. Objective: To assess the Timely Initiation of Complementary Feeding practice and Associated factors among children aged 6-23 Months in Nagelle Arsi District, Southern Ethiopia, 2019.Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out. Systematic random sampling method was used to select 400 study participants. Data was collected using structured questionnaire using face to face interview. The collected data was coded, entered in to Epi-Info version 7 and then exported to SPSS version 21 for analysis.Descriptive statistics, binary and multiple logistic regressions were used for data analysis at 95% confidence intervals. A p-value <0.05 was considered to declare statistical significance. Results: Out of 398 study participants, the proportion of timely initiated complementary feeding was 296 (74.4%) at 95%CI: (70.14, 78.66). In this study Postnatal care follow up [AOR=2.484; 95% CI: (1.478, 4.176)], ANC follow up [AOR=2.221; 95% CI: (1.276, 3.876)] and maternal counseling about timely initiation of complementary feeding at delivery place were positively associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding practice [AOR=2.362; 95% CI: (1.399, 3.986)].Conclusion and recommendation: In this study, three-fourth (74.4%) of children were initiated complementary food at six months of age which was lower than the WHO cut-off point of >80%. ANC follow up, having postnatal care visits and being counseled about timely initiation of complementary feeding at place of delivery were significantly associated with timely initiation of complementary feeding. Therefore promoting ANC follow up, postnatal care visits and counseling about timely initiation of complementary feeding at delivery place were recommended to the concerned bodies to improve the coverage of timely initiation of complementary feeding practice.