Abstract
ABSTRACT
Introduction
Complementary feeding is the period of transition from exclusive breastfeeding to diverse family foods among children aged 6-23 months. This period may put children at high risk of stunting, wasting, and underweight due to inadequate nutrient intakes from complementary food. This paper aimed to assess the nutritional status and to describe energy and selected micronutrient intakes from complementary food among children aged 6-23 months.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 children aged 6-23 months in Kampong Chhnang and Kampong Speu provinces. Household, socio-demographic information, and anthropometric data as well as 24-hour dietary recall were collected using tablets with Kobo database toolbox, a free software toolkit. Children’s s nutritional status was calculated using WHO Anthro software. Micronutrient analysis was performed using FIDR nutrition calculation software 2013. Then, all data were transferred to Stata 14.2 for descriptive analysis.
Results
Of the study samples, 16% of children were stunted, 7% were wasted, and 16% were underweight. Less than half (47%) of children aged 6-8 months meet the energy’s recommendation, while 29% of children aged 9-11 months and 38% of children aged 12-23 months met the standard recommendation respectively. 70% of children aged 12-23 received sufficient protein from complementary food, while about 64% of children aged 6-11 months were at risk of protein inadequacy. Iron, calcium and zinc inadequacy was found in most children 6-23 months. Similarly, about 87%, 92%, 83% of children were at risk of insufficiency for vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B3 respectively.
Conclusions
There are relatively lower prevalent of stunting, wasting and underweight among children aged 6-23 months in these two provinces. However, the proportion of children receiving energy intake, and main nutrients: protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B3 from complementary food were far below the WHO/FAO recommendation that need public health attention.