Prevalence and Determinants of Unhealthy Food and Beverage Consumption Among Children Aged 6-23 Months in Mekelle, Northern Ethiopia.

ABSTRACT: International health authorities, including the World Health Organization, advise against infant consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages (UFB)-products high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats but low in micronutrients. Despite global evidence of rising UFB consumption among children, data from post-conflict, low-income settings like Mekelle remain limited. This cross-sectional study assessed UFB consumption among 567 children aged 6-23 months in three randomly selected health facilities in Mekelle, northern Ethiopia, following the 2020-2022 war. Caregiver-reported 24-h recall revealed that 71.8% of children consumed at least one UFB, with sugar-sweetened beverages being most common (62.9%), followed by sweets (41.8%), soft drinks (18.2%), and fried foods (9.2%). UFB consumption increa

SUBMITTER: Amaha ND 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12318821 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature