Structural Model for Preparing Safe and Hygienic Complementary Food in Indonesia

Abstract

Introduc=on: Early childhood nutriKon is a fundamental determinant of opKmal growth and development. The study aimed to evaluate how mothers provide complementary feeding (CF) to infants and young children aged 6–23 months. It explored factors influencing the adopKon of safe and hygienic CF pracKces recommended by the WHO and Infant and Child Feeding Guidelines. Methods: A non-experimental quanKtaKve approach surveyed 1125 mothers across 28 districts/ciKes. Reliability was assessed using composite reliability (ρ_c), ensuring reliability threshold (≥0.7) was met. Although most constructs comprised single items, they were deemed reliable. Results: Findings indicated that being the first child didn't significantly impact maternal understanding of CF (β=0.034, p=0.215) or adherence to safe CF pracKces (β=-0.001, p=0.307). Maternal employment status also showed no significant influence on CF knowledge (β=0.022, p=0.492) or safe CF pracKces (β=-0.01, p=0.568). However, maternal educaKon significantly affected CF knowledge (β=0.060, p