Table 3.
Breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices and their association with stunting, underweight, and wasting in Malawian children, 2015–2016
| IYCF Indicators | Age | Stunting | Underweight | Wasting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early initiation of breastfeedinga | 0–23 | 0.84 (0.63–1.13) | 1.13 (0.73–1.74) | 1.05 (0.55–1.98) |
| Exclusive breastfeeding under six monthsb | 0–5 | 1.63 (0.91–2.93) | 1.22 (0.47–3.18) | 0.37 (0.11–1.41) |
| Continued breastfeeding at one yearc | 12–15 | 1.95 (0.65–5.87) | 0.71 (0.20–2.53) | 0.69 (0.08–6.22) |
| Minimum dietary diversityd | 6–12 | 0.99 (0.56–1.75) | 1.78 (0.86–3.67) | 0.96 (0.53–1.74) |
| 13–23 | 0.73 (0.49–1.09) | 1.08 (0.61–1.88) | 1.15 (0.46–2.86) | |
| Minimum meal frequencye | 6–12 | 1.00 (0.63–1.59) | 1.25 (0.67–2.32) | 0.94 (0.44–2.05) |
| 13–23 | 0.86 (0.57–1.30) | 0.41 (0.21–0.79)* | 1.54 (0.63–3.86) | |
| Minimum acceptable dietf | 6–12 | 1.06 (0.52–2.16) | 1.92 (0.72–5.13) | 0.62 (0.16–2.45) |
| 13–23 | 0.62 (0.31–1.24) | 0.23 (0.08–0.65)* | 0.91 (0.24–3.41) | |
| Consumption of iron-rich foodsg | 6–12 | 0.89 (0.34–2.33) | 0.98 (0.17–5.54) | 1.11 (0.31–4.01) |
| 13–23 | 1.26 (0.78–2.05) | 0.82 (0.40–1.67) | 0.51 (0.12–2.24) |
Results expressed as adjusted odds ratio AOR (95% Confidence Interval); *p-value < 0.01
Adjusted for clustering, child age, child sex, wealth index, and maternal education
aChildren born in the last 24 months who were breastfed within 1 hour of birth
bInfants 0–5 months of age who were fed exclusively with breast milk (no formula or complementary foods) the previous day
cChildren 12–15 months of age who were fed breastmilk the previous day
dChildren 6–23 months of age who received foods from 4 or more food groups the previous day
eBreastfed and non-breastfed children 6–23 months of age who received solid, semi-solid, or soft foods (but also including milk feeds for non-breastfed children) the minimum number of times or more the previous day (Minimum is defined as: 2 times for breastfed infants (6–8 months), 3 times for breastfed children (9–23 months), 4 times for non-breastfed children (6–23 months)
fBreastfed children 6–23 months of age who had at least the minimum dietary diversity and the minimum meal frequency during the previous day and non-breastfed children 6–23 months of age who received at least 2 milk feedings and had at least the minimum dietary diversity not including milk feeds and the minimum meal frequency
gChildren 6–23 months of age who receive an iron-rich food or iron-fortified food that is specially designed for infants and young children, or that is fortified in the home the previous day