Type of terrain and infant and young child feeding practices: cross-sectional study findings on children below 2 years of age from northern Bangladesh.

Introduction: Optimal feeding practices are vital for the subsistence, adequate nutrition, physical growth and mental development of infants and young children. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of core infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators and their associations with the type of terrain, that is, geographical area or zone among the beneficiaries of a large-scale nutrition programme, , being carried out in the northern part of rural Bangladesh.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2016 to February 2017 in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts of Sylhet Division, Bangladesh. Data pertaining to 5440 children aged below 24 months were analysed for this study. Univariate analysis was carried out to establish the prevalence of the indicators; selected variables were subjected to multiple regression model to identify independent relationships between the IYCF indicators and the type of terrain stratified as plain land, hilly area, flash-flood prone area and haor (wetland).

Results: In logistic regression analysis, flash-flood prone areas were significantly associated with higher exclusive breast feeding (1.92, 95% CI 1.12 to 3.30; p0.019), minimum meal frequency (1.45, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.97; p0.018) and minimum dietary diversity (1.63, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.63; p0.046) compared with plain land. Moreover, hilly areas were associated with significantly lower introduction of solid, semisolid or soft foods (0.39, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.82; p0.013) compared with plain land.

Conclusion: The observed prevalence of the indicators can be set as benchmark while prioritising interventions aimed at improving IYCF practices among underprivileged families residing in different types of rural setting in Bangladesh.