Minimum Dietary Diversity in Children Aged 6 to 23 Months in Urban Areas of Raipur, Chhattisgarh

• Published in: Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth
• Main Authors: Reshma Prasad, Abhiruchi Galhotra, Arvind K. Shukla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2025-09-01
• Subjects: chhattisgarh; children; dietary requirement; india; malnutrition; minimum dietary diversity
• Online Access: https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/mjdrdypu.mjdrdypu_863_24
• ISSN: 2589-8302; 2589-8310

Background: Minimum dietary diversity (MDD) is a measure of diet quality that reflects the consumption of at least five out of eight defined food groups during the previous day. This indicator helps to monitor and assess the dietary quality of infants and young children and the appropriateness of complementary feeding practices at the population level. This study aims to examine the MDD status and associated factors among urban children aged 6–23 months in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2021 to July 2022 in the Urban Field Practice Areas of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Raipur which includes 17 Anganwadi centers. 411 mothers having children aged 6–23 months were interviewed about their children’s food intake after obtaining consent. Results: Out of these 411 children, only 17 (4%) met the MDD requirements, and most (94.1%) belonged to the age group 12 to 23 months. About 70.6% of those who met MDD were breastfed children. Children with a low birth weight have a three times higher risk of not meeting MDD requirements. Conclusion: The study concludes that crucial determinants of MDD compliance include the mother’s age, birth weight, breastfeeding, gender of the child, birth order, and immunization.