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- Title
Prevalence of Children Aged 6 to 23 Months Who Did Not Consume Animal Milk, Formula, or Solid or Semisolid Food During the Last 24 Hours Across Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
- Authors
Karlsson, Omar; Kim, Rockli; Subramanian, S. V.
- Abstract
This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence of zero-food children (children who do not consume any food other than breast milk) aged 6 to 23 months across 92 low- and middle-income countries. Key Points: Question: What is the prevalence of zero-food children (ie, children who did not consume any animal milk, formula, or solid or semisolid food during the last 24 hours) across 92 low- and middle-income countries? Findings: In this cross-sectional study of 276 379 children aged 6 to 23 months in 92 low- and middle-income countries, 10.4% were zero-food children, ranging from 0.1% in Costa Rica to 21.8% in Guinea. Meaning: The high prevalence of zero-food children in some countries suggests a need for targeted interventions to improve infant and young child feeding practices to ensure optimal nutrition during a critical period of development. Importance: The introduction of solid or semisolid foods alongside breast milk plays a vital role in meeting nutritional requirements during early childhood, which is crucial for child growth and development. Understanding the prevalence of zero-food children (defined for research purposes as children aged 6 to 23 months who did not consume animal milk, formula, or solid or semisolid food during the last 24 hours) is essential for targeted interventions to improve feeding practices. Objective: To estimate the percentage of zero-food children in 92 low- and middle-income countries. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study analyzed nationally representative cross-sectional household data of children aged 6 to 23 months from the Demographic and Health Surveys and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys conducted between May 20, 2010, and January 27, 2022. Data were obtained from 92 low- and middle-income countries. Standardized procedures were followed to ensure data comparability and reliability. Both percentage and number of zero-food children were estimated. Main Outcomes and Measures: The outcome studied was defined as a binary variable indicating children aged 6 to 23 months who had not been fed any animal milk, formula, or solid or semisolid foods during the 24 hours before each survey, as reported by the mother or caretaker. Results: A sample of 276 379 children aged 6 to 23 months (mean age, 14.2 months [95% CI, 14.15-14.26 months]) in 92 low- and middle-income countries was obtained, of whom 51.4% (95% CI, 51.1%-51.8%) were boys. The estimated percentage of zero-food children was 10.4% (95% CI, 10.1%-10.7%) in the pooled sample, ranging from 0.1% (95% CI, 0%-0.6%) in Costa Rica to 21.8% (95% CI, 19.3%-24.4%) in Guinea. The prevalence of zero-food children was particularly high in West and Central Africa, where the overall prevalence was 10.5% (95% CI, 10.1%-11.0%), and in India, where the prevalence was 19.3% (95% CI, 18.9%-19.8%). India accounted for almost half of zero-food children in this study. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study of 276 379 children aged 6 to 23 months, substantial disparities in the estimates of food consumption across 92 low- and middle-income countries were found. The prevalence of zero-food children underscores the need for targeted interventions to improve infant and young child feeding practices and ensure optimal nutrition during this critical period of development. The issue is particularly urgent in West and Central Africa and India.
- Subjects
EVALUATION of medical care; INFANT formulas; STATISTICS; MIDDLE-income countries; CONFIDENCE intervals; FOOD consumption; FOOD security; CROSS-sectional method; BABY foods; SURVEYS; LOW-income countries; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; RESEARCH funding; DATA analysis; DATA analysis software; CHILDREN
- Publication
JAMA Network Open, 2024, Vol 7, Issue 2, pe2355465
- ISSN
2574-3805
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.55465