Unhealthy Food Consumption and its Determinants among Children Aged 6 to 23 Months in Sub-Saharan Africa: a Multilevel Analysis of the Demographic and Health Survey

Unhealthy food consumption that begins early in life is associated with a higher risk of nutrient inadequacy and related chronic diseases later in life. Research from sub-Saharan Africa regarding consumption of unhealthy foods remains limited. Therefore, this study is intended to assess the prevalence and determinants of unhealthy food consumption among children aged 6 to 23 months. Data from the demographic and health surveys of five countries were used. A total sample of 16,226 children aged 6 to 23 months was included. Multilevel logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with the dependent variable. Finally, variables with a p-value <0.05 were declared statistically significant. The prevalence of unhealthy food consumption among children aged 6 to 23 months was 13.41%. Higher consumption of unhealthy foods was reported among mothers with low education, unmarried women, who had no media exposure, delivered at home, who hadn’t had a PNC checkup, wealthier households, and older children. The prevalence of unhealthy food consumption among children aged 6 to 23 months was relatively low. Improving women’s education, disseminating nutrition-related information through the media, providing more attention to unmarried women, and strengthening health facility delivery and postnatal care services are recommended. Keywords: unhealthy food consumption, children, DHS, sub-Saharan Africa, multilevel analysis