Household Food Security and Complementary Feeding Practices Among Children 6-23 Months Old in Lungalunga, Kwale County, Kenya

Globally, undernutrition is among the top causes of morbidity and mortality among children 6-23 months old. In Lungalunga, Kwale County, Kenya, similarly to many parts of the county, only 30.4% of children aged 6–23 months receive appropriate complementary feeding (Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD)); a composite indicator of Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) and Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF). Kwale County is a semi-arid land (ASAL) and experiences chronic food insecurity. This study therefore, sought to establish the state of household food security and how it is related to complementary feeding practices among children 6–23 months old in Lungalunga, Kwale County. The study used a cross-sectional analytical research design and to select the study participants, multistage random sampling was used. In-person interviews were conducted at the household to collect information on complementary feeding practices and household food security. For analysis, the study used Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact, linear by linear and logistic regression were used to establish the association between the variables. A statistical significance level (p-value) of <0.05, corresponding to a 95% confidence level was used. About one-tenth (8.1%) of the households experienced severe hunger, 34.7% moderate hunger and 57.1% experienced little to no hunger. All (100%) of the children had received soft, semi-solid or solid meals based on a twenty-four recall. Around three-quarters (76.8%) of the children achieved MMF, 24.1% attained MDD, and only 21.6% had MAD. Significant relationships were observed between all the three indicators of complementary feeding practices (MMF, MDD and MAD) and household food security at a p <0.01. Children from households that experienced moderate hunger had 30% higher odds (OR = 1.298, 95% CI = [1.118, 1.753], p =0.011) of attaining MMF than those experiencing severe hunger, those experiencing 'little to no hunger' were 87% more likely (OR = 1.87, 95% CI = [1.173, 2.473], p < 0.01) to achieve MDD than those experiencing severe hunger and those that experienced 'little to no hunger' had 19% higher odds (OR = 1.191, 95% CI = [1.075, 1.488], p = 0.001) of meeting the MAD than those in severe hunger category. Breastfeeding among children, wealth index, caregivers’ occupation and level of education and household food security were significant predictors of complementary feeding. Therefore, addressing household food security in Lungalunga will significantly improve the complementary feeding practices of children 6-23 months old.