Complementary feeding practices in children aged 6-23 months in rural Lucknow: A cross-sectional study

Problem considered: The initial foods that children have are critical not only for their immediate survival but also for their long-term potential. This study was done to describe the complementary feeding practices in children aged 6-23 months in rural Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and to identify the factors associated with appropriate feeding practices. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in rural areas of Lucknow district in Uttar Pradesh. The calculated sample of 300 mother-child pairs were selected by multistage random sampling tech-nique. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and analysis was done using IBM-SPSS version 26. Results: Grains and pulses were the most commonly consumed food groups by children aged 6-23 months. Nearly two-thirds of children had consumed unhealthy food, 20% had sweet beverages and 61% had zero vegetable or fruit consumption in previous twenty-four hours. Appropriate complementary feeding was seen in 51.3% chil-dren and it was found to be significantly associated with educational status of mothers, if the mothers had received counselling regarding complementary feeding and on maternal dietary diversity. Conclusion: The diet of children aged 6-23 months in rural Lucknow needs improvement in diversity. Poor vegetable/fruit consumption and high consumption of unhealthy foods is a detrimental trend. Focus should be provided on maternal education and counselling to improve complementary feeding practices.