Prevalence and Factors Associated with Vitamin A Rich Foods Consumption among Children Aged 6-59 Months in Hawi Gudina District, Eastern Ethiopia

Background : Vitamin A rich foods are important for children under the age of five years due to their increased physiological needs for growth and development. However, the magnitude of vitamin A rich foods consumption among children aged 6-59 months is not well studied and the determinant factors are not exhaustively identified. Objectives : To assess the prevalence and factors associated with vitamin A rich foods consumption among children aged 6-59 months in Hawi Gudina District, Eastern Ethiopia from December 1 to 30, 2024. Method: Across-sectional study was conducted among 401 randomly selected mother-child pairs in Hawi Gudina District, Eastern Ethiopia, 2024. A multistage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected by using interviewer-administered questionnaire. Frequencies, percentages and mean score with standard deviations were generated to describe participants and report univariate outcomes. Consumption of vitamin A rich foods was assessed using a 7 days dietary recall. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify determinant factors contributed to child vitamin A rich foods consumption practice. Results ; The overall prevalence of vitamin A rich foods consumption among children was [28.4% (95% CI: 24.2%, 33.0%)]. Family size of ≤ 4 [AOR=3.48 (95%CI: 1.15, 6.12)], child age of 48-59 months [AOR=2.59 (95%CI:1.08, 6.24), maternal age of 30-39 years [AOR=3.25 (95% CI:1.37,7.69)], maternal higher education/college or above [AOR=1.24 (95%CI: 1.07, 2.69)], medium [AOR=2.82 (95%CI: 2.10, 6.18)] and rich [AOR=3.42 (95%CI: 2.13, 7.52) household wealth index and household food security [AOR=1.97 (95%CI:1.00, 3.89) were significantly associated with higher odds of vitamin A rich foods consumption among children aged 6–59 months. Conclusions: The study indicated low magnitude of vitamin A rich foods consumption among children aged 6-59 months. Few family sizes, middle-aged mothers and higher maternal educational status, increase in child age, medium and rich wealth index, and household food security were the factors significantly and positively associated with consumption of vitamin A rich foods. Attention must be given to improve the socioeconomic status, maternal education and health care service delivery to enhance the consumption of vitamin A rich foods among children.