TIME TO INITIATION OF COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING PRACTICE AND IT'S ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG MOTHERS WITH CHILDREN AGED 6-23 MONTHS OLD IN DIDU WOREDA , ILLUBABOR ZONE SOUTH WEST ETHIOPIA

Background: - Complementary feeding is the timely introduction of nutritious and safe solid, semisolid, or soft foods to infants. In Ethiopia, half of under age of six months are exclusively breastfeed which is contrary to the recommendation that all children under age of six months should be exclusively breastfeed .To fill this gap the assessment of time to initiation of complementary feeding practice and its associated factors among mothers with children aged 6-23 months old was found to be advantageous . Objective: To assess time to initiation of complementary feeding practice and its associated factors among mothers with children aged 6-23 months old in Didu woreda , Illubabor zone south west Ethiopia, 2023. Method and Materials: Community based cross sectional study design was conducted among 602 children aged 6-23 months selected by systematic random sampling. Completed data were obtained from 579 mother/care giver. A p-value <0.2 was Considered to select eligible variables for multivariable cox regression proportional model analyses and adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) along with p-value <0.05 were considered to identify statistically significant variables for the outcome of interest. Result: Among 579 children aged 6-23 months about 61.8%, of mother were received ANC follow up for the index child. The median time for the initiation of complimentary feeding practice among the study children was 6 months. The hazard of initiation of complimentary feeding practice below six months among mother who were received ANC follow up was 0.52 times lower compared to those who had not received ANC follow up(HR =0.52; 95 % CI: 0.36, 0.75). Place of delivery (HR=0.66; 95 % CI: 0.50, 0.86) had also significant effect on initiation of complimentary feeding practice. Conclusion: high prevalence of complimentary feeding practice initiation below six months. Place of delivery and ANC follow up had association with time to initiation of complimentary feeding practice .Therefore child health program managers and health care providers need to take Interventions such us counseling and strengthening health education on Place of delivery and ANC follow up to help mothers or caregiver to initiate CFP timely.