Family characteristics and non-food expenditure as determinants of dietary diversity among children aged 24-59 months in Karangkamulyan Village, Banten, Indonesia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Low dietary diversity is strongly associated with anaemia, stunting and underweight in young children. However, its determinants vary across populations. This study aimed to evaluate the association of dietary diversity with child and family characteristics among children aged 24-59 months in Karangkamulyan Village, Banten, Indonesia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 involving 210 children selected through a total sampling method. Data were collected through structured interviews with children’s mother or primary caregiver. SPSS was utilised for data analysis. Results: The mean dietary diversity score among the children was 3.78. The majority of the children (78.6%) had a low minimum dietary diversity (<5 food groups per day). Family size (odds ratio [OR]=2.732, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.012-7.377) and maternal parity (OR=2.589, 95% CI=1.028-6.520) were significantly associated with the minimum dietary diversity (P<0.05). Conversely, electricity expenditure (r=-0.255, P<0.05) and mobile phone credit expenditure (r=-0.143, P<0.05) were negatively correlated with the dietary diversity score. Conclusion: This study revealed that non-food expenditure and family characteristics were significantly associated with dietary diversity among children aged 24-59 months. These findings highlight the need for collaboration among various stakeholders to improve the dietary quality for young children.