Consumption of iron rich foods and its associated factors among South Asian children aged 6–23 months using multilevel analysis

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of iron-rich food (IRF) consumption and its related characteristics among children aged 6-23 months in South Asian countries. This cross-sectional study utilized data from the most recent nationally representative demographic and health surveys (DHS) from six South Asian nations. The sample included 84,234 children aged 6-23 months who lived with their mothers. Eating iron-rich foods was the main outcome variable. India had the lowest IRF use at 17.4%, while the Maldives had the highest at 71.9%. Bangladesh followed with 69.6%, then Pakistan at 38%, Nepal at 35.3%, and Afghanistan at 30%. Overall, 21.5% of children from South Asian backgrounds consumed IRF. Additionally, male children, those who were still being breastfed, those who had experienced diarrhea in the past two weeks, mothers who were older and had less education, those with more than two children under five in the household, and those living in rural areas had lower odds of consuming the iron-rich food. This study demonstrates that a mother's education and adequate prenatal care (ANC) visits have a significant impact on her child's consumption of iron-rich foods. Overall, the consumption of IRF among children aged 6-23 months in South Asia remains low. Therefore, a focused communication program is needed to improve mothers' awareness and practices regarding child nutrition, particularly to increase the intake of iron-rich foods during this critical growth stage.