Abstract：
BACKGROUND: Nutritional improvement through appropriate feeding practices is critical for young children\'s healthy growth and development. Even if children are exempted from fasting, their diets are influenced by the widespread fasting practices of their Orthodox Christian mothers. However, scientific evidence on a minimum acceptable diet (MAD) among children aged 6-23 months during the fasting period was limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the minimum acceptable diet and associated factors among children aged 6-23 months during the fasting period among Orthodox Christian mothers in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia.
METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted during the fasting season (Lent) from March 8, 20,121 to April 8, 2021. A total of 738 Orthodox Christian mothers with their children were selected by multistage sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data among mothers to assess children\'s MAD status. The degree of association between independent and dependent variables was assessed by using an odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval. Those variables with a p-value of less than 0.05 in the multivariable analysis were considered as a significant factor for MAD among children aged 6-23 months. Data were presented using texts, tables and figures.
RESULTS: The overall prevalence of MAD among children aged 6-23 months was 19.4% (95% CI: 16.40%-22.20). Having household wealth index of rich and middle (AOR = 4.39, 95% CI: 2.26,8.50) and (AOR = 3.25, 95% CI: 1.69,6.22), respectively, children aged from 12-17 months (AOR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.43,4.92) and 18-23 months (AOR = 5.39, 95% CI: 2.93,9.95) respectively, Children who lived with a family member who consumed any time without keeping the fasting time(AOR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.13,2.83) and mothers of young children who were married (AOR = 4.13, 95% CI: 1.29,13.23) have significant association with MAD.
CONCLUSIONS: The practice of minimum acceptable diet was inadequate. Age of child, wealth status, marital status, and presence of family member who fed without keeping fasting time were significantly associated factors for MAD among children aged 6-23 months. Advocacy for appropriate feeding practice and meeting the MAD for children aged 6-23 months during the fasting period should also be strengthened targeting the unmarried women and those with poor households and giving awareness for mothers in collaboration with the respective religious leaders is highly recommended.
METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted during the fasting season (Lent) from March 8, 20,121 to April 8, 2021. A total of 738 Orthodox Christian mothers with their children were selected by multistage sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data among mothers to assess children\'s MAD status. The degree of association between independent and dependent variables was assessed by using an odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval. Those variables with a p-value of less than 0.05 in the multivariable analysis were considered as a significant factor for MAD among children aged 6-23 months. Data were presented using texts, tables and figures.
RESULTS: The overall prevalence of MAD among children aged 6-23 months was 19.4% (95% CI: 16.40%-22.20). Having household wealth index of rich and middle (AOR = 4.39, 95% CI: 2.26,8.50) and (AOR = 3.25, 95% CI: 1.69,6.22), respectively, children aged from 12-17 months (AOR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.43,4.92) and 18-23 months (AOR = 5.39, 95% CI: 2.93,9.95) respectively, Children who lived with a family member who consumed any time without keeping the fasting time(AOR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.13,2.83) and mothers of young children who were married (AOR = 4.13, 95% CI: 1.29,13.23) have significant association with MAD.
CONCLUSIONS: The practice of minimum acceptable diet was inadequate. Age of child, wealth status, marital status, and presence of family member who fed without keeping fasting time were significantly associated factors for MAD among children aged 6-23 months. Advocacy for appropriate feeding practice and meeting the MAD for children aged 6-23 months during the fasting period should also be strengthened targeting the unmarried women and those with poor households and giving awareness for mothers in collaboration with the respective religious leaders is highly recommended.
摘要：
背景：通过适当的喂养方式改善营养对于幼儿的健康成长和发育至关重要。即使孩子们免于禁食，他们的饮食受到东正教基督徒母亲普遍禁食的影响。然而,6-23个月儿童禁食期间的最低可接受饮食(MAD)的科学证据有限.因此,这项研究的目的是评估最低可接受的饮食和相关因素在6-23个月的儿童在禁食期间的东正教基督教母亲在冈达市，埃塞俄比亚西北部。
方法：在20,121年3月8日至2021年4月8日的禁食季节（Lent）期间进行了一项基于社区的横断面研究。通过多阶段抽样共选择了738名东正教基督徒母亲及其子女。使用结构化问卷收集母亲的数据，以评估儿童的MAD状况。通过使用具有95％置信区间的比值比评估自变量和因变量之间的关联程度。多变量分析中p值小于0.05的变量被认为是6-23个月儿童MAD的重要因素。数据使用文本呈现，表格和数字。
结果：6-23个月儿童MAD的总体患病率为19.4%（95%CI：16.40%-22.20）。家庭财富指数为富人和中产阶级（AOR=4.39，95%CI：2.26,8.50）和（AOR=3.25，95%CI：1.69,6.22），分别,儿童年龄分别为12-17个月(AOR=2.66,95%CI:1.43,4.92)和18-23个月(AOR=5.39,95%CI:2.93,9.95),与家庭成员一起生活而不保持禁食时间的儿童（AOR=1.79，95％CI：1.13,2.83）和已婚幼儿的母亲（AOR=4.13，95％CI：1.29,13.23）与MAD有显着关联。
结论：最低限度可接受饮食的做法是不够的。孩子的年龄,财富地位,婚姻状况,在6-23个月的儿童中，进食而不保持禁食时间的家庭成员的存在是MAD的显着相关因素。还应针对未婚妇女和贫困家庭的妇女，加强对禁食期间6-23个月儿童的适当喂养做法和满足MAD的倡导，并强烈建议与各自的宗教领袖合作提高母亲的认识。
方法：在20,121年3月8日至2021年4月8日的禁食季节（Lent）期间进行了一项基于社区的横断面研究。通过多阶段抽样共选择了738名东正教基督徒母亲及其子女。使用结构化问卷收集母亲的数据，以评估儿童的MAD状况。通过使用具有95％置信区间的比值比评估自变量和因变量之间的关联程度。多变量分析中p值小于0.05的变量被认为是6-23个月儿童MAD的重要因素。数据使用文本呈现，表格和数字。
结果：6-23个月儿童MAD的总体患病率为19.4%（95%CI：16.40%-22.20）。家庭财富指数为富人和中产阶级（AOR=4.39，95%CI：2.26,8.50）和（AOR=3.25，95%CI：1.69,6.22），分别,儿童年龄分别为12-17个月(AOR=2.66,95%CI:1.43,4.92)和18-23个月(AOR=5.39,95%CI:2.93,9.95),与家庭成员一起生活而不保持禁食时间的儿童（AOR=1.79，95％CI：1.13,2.83）和已婚幼儿的母亲（AOR=4.13，95％CI：1.29,13.23）与MAD有显着关联。
结论：最低限度可接受饮食的做法是不够的。孩子的年龄,财富地位,婚姻状况,在6-23个月的儿童中，进食而不保持禁食时间的家庭成员的存在是MAD的显着相关因素。还应针对未婚妇女和贫困家庭的妇女，加强对禁食期间6-23个月儿童的适当喂养做法和满足MAD的倡导，并强烈建议与各自的宗教领袖合作提高母亲的认识。
