DEMOGRAPHIC

AND

HEALTH

SURVEYS

DHS WORKING PAPERS

2018 No. 136

Kyaw Swa Mya

Aung Tin Kyaw

Thandar Tun

June 2018

This document was produced for review by the United States Agency for

International Development.

Feeding Practices and Nutritional Status of Children

Age 6-23 Months in Myanmar: Further Analysis of the 

2015-16 Demographic and Health Survey

DHS Working Paper No. 136

Feeding Practices and Nutritional Status of Children

Age 6-23 Months in Myanmar: Further Analysis of the 

2015-16 Demographic and Health Survey

Kyaw Swa Mya1

Aung Tin Kyaw1

Thandar Tun1

ICF

Rockville, Maryland, USA

June 2018

1 Department of Biostatistics and Medical Demography, University of Public Health, Yangon, Myanmar

Corresponding author: Kyaw Swa Mya, Department of Biostatistics and Medical Demography, 

University of Public Health, Yangon, Myanmar, phone: +9595161524; email: kyawswamya@gmail.com
Acknowledgments: First and foremost, we would like to express our thanks to USAID for funding and to 

ICF for implementing the 2018 DHS Fellows Program. We are very glad to convey our sincere thanks to 

the skillful facilitators Dr. Wenjuan Wang and Dr. Shireen Assaf for expert opinions and suggestions 

throughout our study. Our special thanks also go to the former DHS fellows, Ehab Sakr and Henock Yebyo,

for their co-facilitating, assistance, and comments to accomplish our study successfully. Furthermore, we 

would like to thank Dr. Rukundo K. Benedict and Dr. Sorrel Namaste for their thoughtful comments 

especially on the discussion session. Last but not least, we would like to offer our profound gratitude and 

blessings to our Professor Dr. Khay Mar Mya, rector of the University of Public Health, Yangon, for 

providing us continuous encouragement and necessary support.

Editor: Bryant Robey

Document Production: Natalie Shattuck

This study was carried out with support provided by the United States Agency for International 

Development (USAID) through The DHS Program (#AID-OAA-C-13-00095). The views expressed are 

those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

The DHS Program assists countries worldwide in the collection and use of data to monitor and evaluate 

population, health, and nutrition programs. For additional information about The DHS Program 

contact: DHS Program, ICF, 530 Gaither Road, Suite 500, Rockville, MD 20850, USA; phone: 301-

572-0950; fax: 301-572-0999; fax: 301-407-6501; email: reports@dhsprogram.com; internet: 

www.dhsprogram.com.

Recommended citation:

Mya, Kyaw Swa, Aung Tin Kyaw, and Thandar Tun. 2018. Feeding Practices and Nutritional Status of 

Children Age 6-23 Months in Myanmar: Further Analysis of the 2015-16 Demographic and Health Survey. 

DHS Working Paper No. 136. Rockville, Maryland, USA: ICF.
iii

CONTENTS

TABLES........................................................................................................................................................ v

FIGURES .................................................................................................................................................... vii

ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................................. ix

1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 1

1.1 Background ......................................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Research Objectives ........................................................................................................... 2

1.3 Conceptual Framework ....................................................................................................... 3

2 DATA AND METHODS ................................................................................................................... 5

2.1 Data..................................................................................................................................... 5

2.2 Variables ............................................................................................................................. 5

2.2.1 Dependent variables .............................................................................................. 5

2.2.2 Independent variables............................................................................................ 5

2.2.3 Covariates .............................................................................................................. 6

2.3 Statistical Analysis .............................................................................................................. 6

3 RESULTS ........................................................................................................................................ 9

3.1 Background Characteristics ................................................................................................ 9

3.2 Prevalence of Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices among Children Age 

6-23 Months ...................................................................................................................... 11

3.3 Prevalence of Stunting and Differentials by Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices 

and Child, Maternal, and Household Characteristics........................................................ 12

3.4 Prevalence of Moderate Anemia and Differentials by Infant and Young Child Feeding 

Practices and Child, Mother, and Household Characteristics .......................................... 16

3.5 Adjusted Multiple Logistic Regressions: Stunting ............................................................. 16

3.6 Adjusted Multiple Logistic Regressions: Anemia .............................................................. 18

4 DISCUSSION................................................................................................................................. 19

5 CONCLUSIONS............................................................................................................................. 23

REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................ 25

APPENDIX.................................................................................................................................................. 29

v

TABLES

Table 1 Percent distribution of children age 6-23 months by child, mother, 

and household characteristics ............................................................................... 9

Table 2 Prevalence of stunting and moderate anemia among children age 6-23 

months by child, maternal, and household characteristics .................................. 14

Table 3 Association between IYCF practices and nutritional status (stunting and 

moderate anemia) among children age 6-23 months after adjusting for 

covariates............................................................................................................. 17

Appendix Table A Prevalence of infant and young child feeding practices by child, maternal, 

and household characteristics ............................................................................. 30

vii

FIGURES

Figure 1 Conceptual framework of associations of child, maternal, and household 

characteristics with infant and young child feeding practices, stunting, and 

moderate anemia of children age 6-23 months ..................................................... 3

Figure 2 Prevalence of infant and young child feeding practices among children 

age 6-23 months .................................................................................................. 12

Figure 3 Prevalence of stunting and moderate anemia (<10 mg/dl) among children

age 6-23 months ................................................................................................. 12

Figure 4 Prevalence of stunting by infant and young child feeding practices among 

children age 6-23 months .................................................................................... 13

Figure 5 Prevalence of moderate anemia by infant and young child feeding practices 

among children age 6-23 months ........................................................................ 13

ix

ABSTRACT

Nutritional deficiencies are a major problem among developing countries such as Myanmar. They can occur 

in all age groups, but the impact is more severe among children age 6-23 months as this period is critical 

for child development, and irreversible damage can occur due to consequences of nutritional deficiencies. 

Proper infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices are pivotal to tackle nutritional problems and to 

prevent irreversible consequences among children. To assess the current feeding practices among children 

age 6-23 months and associations with their nutritional status, we conducted a secondary data analysis using 

the 2015-16 Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey. 

A total of 1,222 children age 6-23 months were included in this analysis. Twenty percent of children were 

stunted and 43% were moderately anemic. Regarding IYCF practices, only 16% of children received a 

minimum acceptable diet, 25% received diverse food groups, 58% were fed with minimum meal frequency, 

85% currently breastfed, and 59% consumed iron-rich foods. Breastfeeding reduced the odds of being 

stunted. By background characteristics, male sex, perceived small birth size, children of short stature, and 

children of working mother were significant predictors of stunting. Iron-rich food consumption was 

inversely associated with moderate anemia. Among covariates, male sex and maternal anemia were also 

significant predictors of moderate anemia among children age 6-23 months. 

The study concluded that stunting and anemia among young children in Myanmar are major public health 

challenges that need urgent action. Children should be fed with diverse food groups including iron-rich 

foods according to the World Health Organization (WHO) complementary feeding guidelines. While further 

prospective research is needed to determine the effect of feeding practice on linear growth, interventions 

such as iron supplementation, deworming, and nutritional education programs could help prevent stunting 

and childhood anemia and might reduce their prevalence in Myanmar. 

KEY WORDS: stunting, anemia, infant and young child feeding practices, Demographic and Health 

Survey, Myanmar 

1

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Adequate nutrition is essential for growth and development of children, and malnutrition reflects poor social 

and economic development. Growth faltering results in adverse effects including poor physical and 

cognitive development, the impact of which may last a lifetime (UNICEF 2017). Short-term consequences 

include increased morbidity and mortality, developmental delay, and economic burden for sick children, 

while long-term consequences are stunted brains and stunted lives, hindering the development of entire 

societies. Hence, the period from birth to age 24 months is considered the “critical window” for the 

advancement of good growth, health, and behavioral and cognitive development (Onis and Branca 2016).

Stunting, a sign of chronic undernutrition, is defined as the percentage of children whose height for age is 

below minus two standard deviations from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child 

Growth Standards (WHO 2016). The prevalence of stunting among children under age 5 varies globally. In 

2013, about half of the world’s 161 million stunted children lived in Asia, and over one-third in Africa (Onis 

and Branca 2016). About a quarter of the world’s children under age 5 live in South Asia and, among them, 

38% have stunted growth (UNICEF 2014). In Myanmar, prevalence of stunting was 35% in 2009-10 

(UNICEF 2011) and decreased to 29% in 2017 (MOHS and ICF 2017). 

According the WHO conceptual framework for childhood stunting, four main factors are responsible for 

stunting: (1) household and family factors—maternal disease, age, short stature, poor nutritional status, 

short birth intervals, poor care practices, inadequate water supply and sanitation, food insecurity, low 

caregiver education; (2) inadequate complementary feeding—poor-quality food, low dietary diversity and 

intake of food, infrequent and inadequate feeding, insufficient frequency of feeding; (3) inadequate practice 

of breastfeeding—early cessation of breastfeeding, non-exclusive breastfeeding; and (4) clinical and 

subclinical infection—diarrhea, malaria (Stewart et al. 2013). 

A number of studies have described the determinants of stunting in developing countries. A study in India 

stated that birth weight, child feeding, women’s nutrition, and household sanitation were the most 

significant predictors of stunting, and among children age 6-23 months a child with low birth weight had 

2.5 higher odds of being stunted compared with children of normal birth weight (Aguayo et al. 2016). 

Another study conducted in Sri Lanka showed that stunting was significantly associated with poorly 

educated parents, low birth weight, and poor complementary feeding practices (Sujendran, Senarath, and 

Joseph 2015). Similar findings were found in an Ethiopia study, which showed that stunting was associated 

with child’s sex, maternal age, maternal education, and occupational status (Agedew and Chane 2015). A 

study in Cambodia found that child’s age, perceived birth size, family wealth status, and region of residence 

were significantly associated with stunting (Ettyang and Sawe 2016). 

Childhood anemia is also a public health problem, with significant negative health consequences and 

adverse impacts on social and economic development (WHO 2015a). A child is considered to be anemic if 

blood hemoglobin level is less than 11 g/dl, where 10-10.9 g/dl is mild anemia, 7-9.9 g/dl is moderate 

anemia, and less than 7 g/dl is severe anemia (WHO 2008). WHO estimates that nearly two-thirds of 

preschool children in Africa and Southeast Asia are anemic. Severe anemia can cause child mortality. 
2

According to recent data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), the prevalence of anemia in 

preschool children is 53% in Nepal and 56% in Cambodia (Ministry of Health Nepal and ICF 2017; 

National Institute of Statistics and ICF 2015). In Myanmar its prevalence was 40% in 2011 (WHO 2015a)

and 58% in 2015-16 (MOHS and ICF 2017), showing that prevalence of childhood anemia has increased. 

The prevalence of anemia is also above 50% in some other countries—including 56% in Bangladesh, 59% 

in India, and 61% in Pakistan—but is below 50% in some other developing countries—at 44% in 

Afghanistan, 36% in Sri Lanka, 35% in Philippines, and 32% in Indonesia (WHO 2015a). 

A number of studies have found prevalence of anemia to be associated with maternal factors, including 

maternal education, number of children under age 5, maternal age, and maternal anemia, and with childrelated factors, including child’s age under 24 months, low socioeconomic status, male sex, malaria, 

stunting, and wasting (Foote et al. 2013; Leal et al. 2011).

Nutritional status of children under age 2 is highly influenced by feeding practices. To assess feeding 

practice precisely and to compare within and across nations, WHO recommends using eight infant and 

young child feeding (IYCF) core indicators—early initiation of breastfeeding; exclusive breastfeeding for 

six months; continued breastfeeding at one year; introduction of solid, semi-solid, or soft foods; minimum 

dietary diversity; minimum meal frequency; minimum acceptable diet; and consumption of iron-rich or 

iron-fortified foods (UNICEF 2012).

It is important to prevent malnutrition within the critical period of life—during pregnancy and a child’s first 

two years of life—by having proper IYCF practices. Proper IYCF practices protect children from 

undernutrition and over-nutrition and their consequences later in life. Infants with inadequate growth can 

catch up weight gain in the first two years of life and reduce the risk of child morbidity and mortality. 

Although Myanmar established National Strategy on IYCF practices since 2011 (MOHS and ICF 2017), 

there are very limited studies on IYCF practices in Myanmar. Furthermore, few studies have assessed the 

relationship between nutritional status of anemia and stunting with IYCF practices. Most of studies have 

focused on breastfeeding and complementary feeding without using IYCF indicators, making them difficult 

to compare. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the relationship between nutritional status and 

IYCF practices, using the 2015-16 Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) (MOHS and ICF 

2017).

1.2 Research Objectives

The primary objective of this study is to examine the relationship between IYCF practices and stunting and 

moderate anemia of children age 6-23 months. Specifically, the study aims to

(1) Describe the IYCF practices among children age 6-23 months 

(2) Determine the prevalence of stunting and moderate anemia among children age 6-23 months 

(3) Assess the relationship between IYCF practices and stunting among children age 6-23 months 

(4) Examine the relationship between IYCF practices and moderate anemia among children age 6-23 

months. 
3

1.3 Conceptual Framework

Our conceptual framework was based on the WHO conceptual framework of childhood stunting (Stewart 

et al. 2013). We focused on five IYCF indicators—currently breastfed, minimum dietary diversity,

minimum meal frequency, minimum acceptable diet, and consumption of iron-rich foods. We also 

considered other variables that might influence stunting and anemia. Figure 1 shows the adapted conceptual 

framework that incorporates key independent variables of interest and other covariates. These covariates 

include child’s characteristics—age, sex, perceived birth size, birth order, immunization status, vitamin A

supplementation, deworming, fever, and diarrhea; maternal characteristics—age, height, education status, 

employment status, number of antenatal care (ANC) visits, birth interval, and maternal anemia; and 

household characteristics—place of residence, region of residence, family size, and household wealth 

status. 

Figure 1 Conceptual framework of associations of child, maternal, and household characteristics with

infant and young child feeding practices, stunting, and moderate anemia of children age 6-23 

months

Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices

 Currently breastfed

 Minimum dietary diversity

 Minimum meal frequency

 Minimum acceptable diet

 Consumption of iron-rich foods

Stunting

Moderate anemia 

Maternal Characteristics

 Age

 Height

 Education status

 Employment status

 Number of antenatal 

care visits

 Birth interval 

 Maternal anemia

Household Characteristics

 Place of residence

 Region of residence

 Family size

 Household wealth 

status 

Child’s Characteristics

 Age

 Sex

 Mother’s perception of 

birth size

 Birth order

 Immunization status

 Vitamin A 

supplementation

 Deworming treatment

 Fever

 Diarrhea

Independent Variables

Dependent Variables

Covariates

5

2 DATA AND METHODS

2.1 Data

Our study used data from the 2015-16 Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), which was 

conducted using nationally representative samples to estimate core demographic and health indicators of 

the whole country. The DHS survey also provides estimates separately for urban and rural areas, the 14 

states and regions, and the Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory. The survey used two-stage sampling clusters 

(enumeration areas) as the primary sampling unit, and households as a secondary stage from which it 

sampled 13,260 households. Methods are described elsewhere (MOHS and ICF 2017). The survey 

interviewed a total of 16,800 women and 7,500 men age 15-49 in the selected households. The data 

collected included taking blood samples and anthropometric measures of all children age 6-59 months and 

women age 15-49. Our study, with the aim of assessing stunting and moderate anemia among children with 

respect to IYCF practices, used data for 1,222 children age 6-23 months whose information on feeding 

practices was collected through interviews with their mothers in the DHS survey. 

2.2 Variables

2.2.1 Dependent variables

We used stunting and anemia as dependent variables. Stunting was calculated from height-for-age Z-score 

using the WHO Child Growth Standards (WHO 2014). Children whose height-for-age Z-score is below 

minus two standard deviations (-2 SD) from the median of the reference population are considered short 

for their age (stunting), or chronically undernourished. We excluded biologically implausible values such 

as less than (-6 SD) and greater than (+6 SD) in our study (WHO 2009). In Myanmar, most children under 

age 24 months (about 76%) are anemic. Hence we focused on moderate anemia, using cutoff value <10g/dl 

to detect the association between IYCF practices and childhood anemia. We also excluded from our analysis 

biologically implausible hemoglobin values such as less than 4g/dl and greater than 18g/dl (WHO 2015b). 

2.2.2 Independent variables

To assess children’s feeding practices, we used five IYCF indicators—currently breastfed, minimum dietary 

diversity, minimum meal frequency, minimum acceptable diet, and consumption of iron-rich foods 

(UNICEF 2012). These independent variables were recoded according to the following definitions using 

information about foods given to the child in the last 24 hours before interview. 

Minimum dietary diversity is defined as proportion of children age 6-23 months who received foods from 

four or more food groups. The seven food groups used for tabulation of this indicator are: 1) grains, roots, 

and tubers; 2) legumes and nuts; 3) dairy products (milk, yogurt, and cheese); 4) flesh foods (meat, fish, 

poultry, and liver/organ meats); 5) eggs; 6) vitamin-A-rich fruits and vegetables; and 7) other fruits and 

vegetables. 

Minimum meal frequency is defined as proportion of breastfed and nonbreastfed children age 6-23 months 

who received solid, semi-solid, or soft foods (but also including milk feeds for nonbreastfed children) the 

minimum number of times or more. Minimum is defined as: two times for breastfed infants age 6-8 months, 
6

three times for breastfed children age 9-23 months, or four times for nonbreastfed children age 6-23 months. 

“Meals” include both meals and snacks (other than trivial amounts), and frequency is based on caregiver 

report.

Minimum acceptable diet is defined as proportion of breastfed and nonbreastfed children 6–23 months of 

age who receive solid, semi-solid, or soft foods (but also including milk feeds for nonbreastfed children) 

the minimum number of times or more. Minimum is defined as 2 times for breastfed infants 6–8 months, 3 

times for breastfed children 9–23 months, 4 times for nonbreastfed children 6–23 months.

Consumption of iron-rich foods is defined as proportion of children age 6-23 months who receive an ironrich food, which includes meat (and organ meat), fish, poultry, and eggs.

Currently breastfed is defined as children age 6-23 months still being breastfed.

2.2.3 Covariates

As the conceptual framework shows, this analysis considered characteristics of the child, the mother, and 

the household. Child’s characteristics included age, sex, mother’s perception of birth size, birth order, 

immunization, deworming treatment, and vitamin A supplementation in the last six weeks before interview, 

and fever and diarrhea in the last two weeks before interview. Maternal characteristics included age, height, 

education, employment, number of ANC visits, birth interval, and maternal anemia (<11 g/dl). Household 

characteristics included place of residence, region, family size, and household wealth status. 

2.3 Statistical Analysis

We described background characteristics, including prevalence of stunting, moderate anemia and IYCF 

practices of the sample, using descriptive statistics as well as graphically. We used Pearson’s chi-square test 

to assess association between dependent and independent variables separately for all the factors. We 

assessed the association of IYCF practices with stunting and moderate anemia using multiple logistic 

regression analysis adjusting the covariates. The results were presented using adjusted odds ratios (OR) 

with 95% confidence interval (CI). Multicollinearity was tested among IYCF practices, showing that 

minimum dietary diversity and minimum acceptable diet were highly correlated (r=0.75); hence, we 

removed minimum acceptable diet from the multiple logistic regression analysis. 

We selected covariates that were significantly associated with outcome variables in the bivariate analysis 

and no collinearity with other variables. Thus in regression models, we adjusted two child’s 

characteristics—sex and perceived birth weight; five maternal characteristics—education, employment 

status, height, number of ANC visits, and anemia; and two household characteristics—residence and 

household wealth status. We removed the region of residence variable from the analysis since we are not 

concerned with regional variation, and also removed deworming. Maternal age was removed due to 

collinearity (r=0.51) with household wealth status. We adjusted all these covariates in logistic regression

analyses of dependent variables.

While we adjusted each analysis that involved a hypothesis testing for the design effect using a predefined 

parameter established as a function of PSU, strata, and sampling weights, we took into account sampling 
7

weight for frequency and percentage estimations for adjusting representativeness and nonresponse. We 

carried out all analyses on STATA (v.15.1), and p value <0.05 was set as a statistical significance. 

9

3 RESULTS

3.1 Background Characteristics

The analysis included a total of 1,222 children age 6-23 months. Table 1 shows that 37% were age 12-17 

months, 54% were male, 12% were below average in perceived birth size, and 36% were firstborn. 

Regarding immunization, only 31% completed full immunization at their age. Forty-nine percent of 

children received vitamin A supplementation and 22% received drugs for intestinal parasites in the last six

months before interview. Previous history of fever was found in 22% of children, and diarrhea had occurred 

in 16% of children in the last two weeks before interview. Among the mothers, about half were age 20-29, 

15% had no formal education, 59% were employed, 31% were short-statured (<150 cm), 10% did not 

receive ANC, 12% delivered their last child with a <24 months birth interval, and 46% were anemic. By 

characteristics of the household, 75% of the children resided in rural areas. About half of the children were 

from four states/regions—15% from Shan State, 14% from Ayeyarwady Region, 12% from Yangon Region, 

and 11% from Mandalay Region. Only 32% of children were from large families of more than six members. 

Nearly half of children were from poor families (Table 1).

Table 1 Percent distribution of children age 6-23 months by child, mother, and household 

characteristics

Variables Number Percent

Child’s characteristics

Age in months

 6-11 399 32.6

 12-17 454 37.2

 18-23 369 30.2

Sex

 Male 658 53.9

 Female 564 46.1

Perceived birth size*

 Average and above 1,033 87.7

 Below average 145 12.3

Birth order

 1st child 434 35.5

 2nd child 340 27.9

 3rd child 186 15.2

 4th and above 262 21.4

Immunization status

 No/not complete immunization 839 68.7

 Complete immunization 383 31.3

Vitamin A received in last 6 months

 Not received 619 50.7

 Received 603 49.3

Deworming in last 6 months

 No or don’t know 957 78.3

 Yes 265 21.7

Continued...
10

Table 1—Continued

Variables Number Percent

Fever in last two weeks

 No 956 78.2

 Yes 266 21.8

Diarrhea in last two weeks

 No 1,025 83.9

 Yes 197 16.1

Maternal characteristics

Age of mothers (years)

 Less than 20 45 3.7

 20-29 600 49.1

 30-39 492 40.2

 40-47 85 7.0

Mother’s educational level

 No education 184 15.1

 Primary 547 44.7

 Secondary 392 32.1

 Higher 99 8.1

Mother’s employment status

 Not working 504 41.4

 Working 714 58.6

Mother’s height

 < 150 cm 373 31.0

 150-159 cm 739 61.4

 ≥ 160 cm 91 7.6

Number of AN visits

 None 121 10.0

 1-3 363 30.1

 4 + 724 59.9

Birth interval group

 ≥24 months 690 88.3

 <24 months 92 11.7

Maternal anemia (<11 g/dl)

 No 642 54.1

 Yes 545 45.9

Household characteristics

Place of residence

 Urban 310 25.4

 Rural 912 74.6

Region of residence

 Kachin 37 3.1

 Kayah 10 0.8

 Kayin 47 3.9

 Chin 16 1.3

 Sagaing 119 9.7

Continued...
11

Table 1—Continued

Variables Number Percent

 Tanintharyi 34 2.8

 Bago 105 8.6

 Magway 83 6.8

 Mandalay 133 10.9

 Mon 38 3.1

 Rakhine 86 7.1

 Yangon 143 11.7

 Shan 180 14.7

 Ayeyarwady 168 13.7

 Nay Pyi Taw 23 1.8

Family members

 < 5 361 29.5

 5-6 475 38.9

 >6 386 31.6

Wealth Index

 Poorest 327 26.8

 Poorer 271 22.2

 Middle 211 17.2

 Richer 215 17.6

 Richest 198 16.2

Total 1,222 100.0

3.2 Prevalence of Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices among 

Children Age 6-23 Months

Figure 2 shows the prevalence of IYCF practices. Most children age 6-23 months (85%) were still being 

breastfed, and 25% of children achieved minimum dietary diversity (at least four food groups). The 

percentage of children who achieved minimum required meal frequency was 58%, while only 16% achieved 

a minimum acceptable diet (apart from breast milk). Finally, 59% of children were fed iron-rich foods in 

the last 24 hours. 
12

Figure 2 Prevalence of infant and young child feeding practices among children age 6-23 months

3.3 Prevalence of Stunting and Differentials by Infant and Young Child 

Feeding Practices and Child, Maternal, and Household 

Characteristics

As Figure 3 shows, prevalence of stunting among children age 6-23 months was 20%. Figure 4 shows the 

prevalence of stunting by IYCF practices. Stunting was more prevalent in children who were not currently 

breastfed compared with those who were currently breastfed (30% versus 19%). However, stunting 

prevalence was higher in children who received minimum meal frequency compared with those who did 

not (23% versus 17%). The other IYCF practices were not significantly different in prevalence of stunting. 

Table 2 shows results from bivariate analysis between stunting and other covariates. Stunting was more 

prevalent in older than younger children, male than female children, and children below average perceived 

birth size compared with children of average and above perceived birth size. However, stunting was 

inversely associated with vitamin A supplementation. Stunting was also more common in children whose 

mothers were less educated, of short stature (<150 cm), and employed. Stunting was significantly associated 

with place of residence, region of residence, and wealth index. 

Figure 3 Prevalence of stunting and moderate anemia (<10 mg/dl) among children age 6-23 months

84.5

58.5

57.6

24.8

15.9

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Currently breastfed

Consumption of iron rich foods

Minimum meal frequency

Minimum dietary diversity

Minimum acceptable diet

Percentage (95% CI)

20.2

42.8

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Stunting Moderate anemia Percentage (95% CI)
13

Figure 4 Prevalence of stunting by infant and young child feeding practices among children age 6-23 

months

Figure 5 Prevalence of moderate anemia by infant and young child feeding practices among children age 

6-23 months

30.3

18.5

19.2

23.3

16.5

23

20.1

20.6

19.4

20.8

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Currently not breastfed

Currently breastfed

No minimum dietary diversity

Minimum dietary diversity

No minimum meal frequency

Minimum meal frequency

No minimum acceptable diet

Minimum acceptable diet

No consumption of iron-rich foods

Consumption of iron-rich foods

Percentage of stunting (95% CI)

37.6

43.8

42.2

45

42

43.5

41.7

49.1

48

39.6

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Currently not breastfed

Currently breastfed

No minimum dietary diversity

Minimum dietary diversity

No minimum meal frequency

Minimum meal frequency

No minimum acceptable diet

Minimum acceptable diet

No consumption of iron-rich foods

Consumption of iron-rich foods

Percentage of moderate anemia (95% CI)
14

Table 2 Prevalence of stunting and moderate anemia among children age 6-23 months by child, 

maternal, and household characteristics

Stunting Moderate anemia

% CI p value % CI p value

Child’s characteristics

Age <0.001 0.318

 6-11 months 14.2 [10.5,18.8] 42.8 [36.4,49.4]

 12-17 months 15.8 [12.0,20.6] 46.0 [39.9,52.1]

 18-23 months 32.1 [26.3,38.4] 39.3 [32.3,46.7]

Sex <0.001 0.001

 Male 26.0 [21.8,30.6] 48.9 [43.6,54.2]

 Female 13.7 [10.5,17.7] 36.1 [30.3,42.4]

Perceived birth size <0.001 0.850

 Average and above 18.1 [15.2,21.5] 42.8 [38.3,47.3]

 Below average 33.4 [25.3,42.6] 43.9 [33.0,55.4]

Birth order 0.139 0.774

 1st child 17.8 [13.7,22.7] 44.9 [38.2,51.7]

 2nd child 19.0 [14.4,24.7] 43.2 [36.1,50.6]

 3rd child 18.8 [12.2,27.8] 40.3 [31.9,49.4]

 4th and above 26.6 [20.6,33.7] 40.7 [33.9,47.9]

Immunization status 0.109 0.917

 No/not complete immunization 21.7 [18.5,25.3] 42.7 [38.2,47.4]

 Complete immunization 16.9 [12.7,22.2] 43.2 [35.9,50.7]

Vitamin A in last 6 months 0.008 0.241

Not received/not known 16.3 [12.9,20.4] 45.1 [39.8,50.6]

 Received 24.2 [20.1,28.8] 40.7 [35.1,46.6]

Deworming in last 6 months 0.099 0.692

 No or don’t know 18.8 [15.8,22.2] 43.3 [38.7,48.0]

 Yes 25.4 [18.7,33.5] 41.5 [33.4,50.0]

Fever in last two weeks 0.635 0.572

 No 20.6 [17.5,24.0] 43.4 [38.8,48.2]

 Yes 18.8 [13.3,26.0] 41.0 [33.6,48.9]

Diarrhea in last two weeks 0.351 0.336

 No 20.8 [17.7,24.2] 42.0 [37.3,46.9]

 Yes 17.2 [11.6,24.7] 47.3 [38.0,56.7]

Maternal characteristics

Age of mothers (years) 0.138 0.284

 Under 20 31.1 [16.9,50.0] 36.8 [21.4,55.4]

 20-29 17.3 [13.9,21.2] 46.3 [40.4,52.4]

30-39 22.6 [18.1,27.8] 39.7 [33.8,45.9]

 40-47 21.6 [13.2,33.3] 38.6 [26.5,52.2]

Mother’s educational level <0.001 0.667

 No education 31.6 [24.4,39.8] 41.5 [31.2,52.6]

 Primary 22.2 [18.0,27.1] 44.6 [39.0,50.3]

 Secondary 12.4 [8.9,17.0] 39.9 [33.4,46.8]

 Higher 18.8 [10.9,30.2] 46.5 [33.2,60.4]

Continued...
15

Table 2—Continued

Stunting Moderate anemia

% CI p value % CI p value

Mother’s employment status <0.001 0.739

 Not working 14.2 [10.8,18.3] 43.6 [37.6,49.7]

 Working 24.7 [20.8,29.1] 42.3 [37.1,47.7]

Mother’s height <0.001 0.910

 < 150 cm 30.7 [24.8,37.3] 43.9 [37.3,50.7]

 150 - 159 cm 15.8 [12.7,19.5] 42.3 [37.0,47.7]

 ≥ 160 cm 13.3 [7.0,23.9] 44.1 [30.5,58.7]

Number of ANC visits 0.079 0.025

 None 20.9 [13.6,30.5] 28.2 [20.5,37.3]

 1-3 24.4 [19.3,30.5] 45.2 [38.3,52.4]

 4 + 17.5 [14.2,21.4] 43.1 [38.1,48.4]

Birth interval group 0.136 0.509

 >=24 months 20.4 [16.7,24.6] 42.0 [37.1,47.1]

 <24 months 29.2 [18.9,42.2] 37.2 [25.5,50.7]

Maternal anemia (<11 g/dl) 0.647 <0.001

 No 19.9 [16.5,23.8] 36.0 [30.9,41.4]

 Yes 21.1 [17.2,25.6] 50.7 [44.9,56.5]

Household characteristics

Place of residence <0.001 0.421

 Urban 10.4 [7.0,15.3] 39.8 [31.4,48.7]

 Rural 23.4 [20.1,27.0] 43.9 [39.1,48.8]

Region of residence 0.002 0.053

 Kachin 15.0 [8.9,24.2] 45.7 [33.8,58.0]

 Kayah 32.7 [23.8,43.1] 36.6 [27.9,46.3]

 Kayin 14.1 [8.2,23.2] 37.2 [28.5,46.9]

 Chin 27.9 [20.5,36.8] 39.7 [30.9,49.2]

 Sagaing 21.4 [13.3,32.6] 47.7 [34.3,61.4]

 Tanintharyi 11.4 [4.9,24.1] 38.6 [30.2,47.8]

 Bago 9.2 [4.3,18.9] 39.3 [26.4,53.8]

 Magway 14.8 [6.2,31.5] 58.1 [44.6,70.4]

 Mandalay 25.1 [15.4,38.2] 33.1 [21.6,47.0]

 Mon 18.5 [10.3,30.9] 49.0 [36.1,62.1]

 Rakhine 20.8 [14.5,28.8] 52.4 [38.0,66.4]

 Yangon 9.5 [4.6,18.8] 41.4 [28.2,55.9]

 Shan 29.7 [20.4,41.1] 23.4 [13.5,37.5]

 Ayeyarwady 30.7 [22.4,40.5] 49.2 [35.6,62.9]

 Nay Pyi Taw 13.9 [8.0,23.0] 50.7 [30.1,71.1]

Family members 0.084 0.198

 < 5 15.7 [11.9,20.6] 45.0 [37.5,52.8]

 5-6 22.3 [18.1,27.2] 38.5 [33.1,44.2]

 >6 21.9 [17.2,27.3] 46.2 [38.9,53.6]

Continued...
16

Table 2—Continued

Stunting Moderate anemia

% CI p value % CI p value

Wealth Index 0.023 0.378

 Poorest 26.3 [20.8,32.7] 43.8 [35.8,52.1]

 Poorer 20.7 [15.4,27.1] 42.6 [35.1,50.5]

 Middle 21.5 [16.1,28.1] 50.0 [40.5,59.5]

 Richer 13.2 [8.3,20.4] 40.7 [32.2,49.9]

 Richest 14.9 [9.3,23.1] 35.7 [25.6,47.2]

Total 20.2 [17.5,23.3] 42.8 [38.7,47.2]

3.4 Prevalence of Moderate Anemia and Differentials by Infant and Young 

Child Feeding Practices and Child, Mother, and Household 

Characteristics

The prevalence of moderate anemia among children age 6-23 months was 43% (Figure 3). Figure 5 shows 

the prevalence of moderate anemia by IYCF practices. The prevalence of moderate anemia was higher in 

children who had not received iron-rich foods compared with those who had (48% versus 40%). Other 

IYCF practices were not associated with moderate anemia. 

Table 2 presents results of bivariate analysis between moderate anemia and other covariates. Among child 

characteristics, only gender was significantly associated with moderate anemia—male children were more 

likely than female children to be anemic. By maternal characteristics, children of anemic mothers were 

more likely to be anemic than children of non-anemic mothers, while children whose mothers had made no 

ANC visits had lower prevalence of anemia than those whose mothers had made either two or three ANC 

visits, or the recommended four or more visits. 

3.5 Adjusted Multiple Logistic Regressions: Stunting

Table 3 shows results of the adjusted multiple logistic regressions for stunting. The odds of stunting among 

currently breastfed children were 47% lower than for nonbreastfed children (aOR=0.53; 95%CI 0.31, 0.90). 

Apart from this, no other IYCF practices were significantly associated with stunting. Among covariates, 

female children were less likely to be stunted than male children (aOR=0.46; 95%CI 0.30, 0.71). Children 

with less than average perceived birth size had higher odds of stunting compared with children with average

or above birth size (aOR=2.48; 95%CI 1.50, 4.09). Children of working mothers were more likely to be 

stunted (aOR=1.97; 95%CI 1.32, 2.95). Children of mothers whose height was greater than or equal to 150 

cm had lower odds of stunting compared with children of mothers with height less than 150 cm (aOR=0.43; 

95%CI 0.28, 0.67 for mother’s height 150–159 cm) (aOR=0.40; 95%CI 0.17, 0.93 for mother’s height ≥ 

160 cm). Moreover, children from rural areas were more likely to be stunted compared with urban children 

(aOR=2.01; 95%CI 1.11, 3.65).
17

Table 3 Association between IYCF practices and nutritional status (stunting and moderate anemia) 

among children age 6-23 months after adjusting for covariates

Variables

Stunting Moderate anemia

AOR 95% CI AOR 95% CI

IYCF variables

Currently breastfed

 No 1.00 1.00

 Yes 0.53* 0.31 - 0.90 1.24 0.77 - 1.99

Minimum dietary diversity

 No 1.00 1.00

 Yes 0.91 0.56 - 1.48 1.36 0.87 - 2.11

Minimum meal frequency

 No 1.00 1.00

 Yes 1.42 0.91 - 2.23 1.13 0.80 - 1.60

Consumption of iron-rich foods

 No 1.00 1.00

 Yes 1.17 0.72 - 1.91 0.67* 0.47 - 0.97

Child’s characteristics

Sex of child 

 Male 1.00 1.00

 Female 0.46*** 0.30 - 0.71 0.63** 0.45 - 0.87

Perceived birth weight 

 Average and above 1.00 1.00

 Below average 2.48*** 1.50 - 4.09 1.06 0.64 - 1.76

Maternal characteristics

Maternal education 

 No education 1.00 1.00

 Primary 0.73 0.43 - 1.25 0.88 0.53 - 1.48

 Secondary 0.52 0.26 - 1.03 0.84 0.47 - 1.49

 Higher 1.12 0.41 - 3.03 1.06 0.44 - 2.53

Mother’s employment status 

 Not working 1.00 1.00

 Working 1.97*** 1.32 - 2.95 0.97 0.69 - 1.36

Mother’s height

 <150 cm 1.00 1.00

 150-159 cm 0.43*** 0.28 - 0.67 1.09 0.76 - 1.55

 ≥ 160 cm 0.40* 0.17 - 0.93 1.31 0.65 - 2.60

Continued...
18

Table 3—Continued

Variables

Stunting Moderate anemia

AOR 95% CI AOR 95% CI

Number of ANC visits

 None 1.00 1.00

 1-3 times 1.44 0.78 - 2.64 2.28** 1.22 - 4.28

 At least 4 times 1.32 0.66 - 2.64 2.37** 1.27 - 4.43

Maternal anemia (<11 mg/dl)

 No 1.00 1.00

 Yes 1.03 0.72 - 1.48 1.72** 1.25 - 2.36

Household characteristics

Residence

 Urban 1.00 1.00

 Rural 2.01* 1.11 - 3.65 0.99 0.59 - 1.67

Wealth index

 Poorest 1.00 1.00

 Poorer 0.83 0.51 - 1.35 0.83 0.51 - 1.37

 Middle 0.82 0.46 - 1.46 1.14 0.66 - 1.97

 Richer 0.60 0.29 - 1.22 0.80 0.47 - 1.38

 Richest 0.74 0.32 - 1.73 0.55 0.25 - 1.22

AOR = adjusted odds ratio, ***p<0.001, **p<0.01, *p<0.05

3.6 Adjusted Multiple Logistic Regressions: Anemia

Table 3 also shows the results of the adjusted multiple logistic regressions for moderate anemia. The 

consumption of iron-rich foods was the only IYCF practice significantly associated with moderate anemia. 

The odds of moderate anemia among children who consumed iron-rich foods were 33% lower than those 

of children who did not consume them (aOR=0.67; 95%CI 0.47, 0.97). Similar to stunting, moderate anemia 

was significantly associated with gender—female children were less likely to be anemic than male children 

(aOR=0.63; 95%CI 0.45, 0.87). Maternal anemia was also associated with childhood anemia. The odds of 

moderate anemia among children of anemic mothers were 1.72 times higher than the odds among those of 

non-anemic mothers (aOR=1.72; 95%CI 1.25, 2.36). However, the odds were higher among children of 

mothers who attended four or more ANC visits (aOR=2.37; 95%CI 1.27, 4.43) and 1-3 ANC visits 

(aOR=2.28; 95%CI 1.22, 4.28) compared with those of mothers who attended no ANC visits.
19

4 DISCUSSION

This study examined the prevalence of stunting, moderate anemia, and IYCF practices among children age 

6-23 months, and the association of IYCF practices with stunting and anemia. The findings show that 

stunting and anemia are public health problems in Myanmar, with 20% of children age 6-23 months stunted 

and 43% moderately anemic. Prevalence of all IYCF practices is low apart from breastfeeding, with less 

than a fifth of children receiving a minimum acceptable diet and less than half receiving adequate meal 

frequency and iron-rich food consumption. Three-fourths of children have a diverse diet. The prevalence 

of stunting and anemia varies by background characteristics of children, mothers, and households. Stunting 

varies greatly among regions, from 9% to 32%. Children from rural and poor families are more likely to be 

stunted. As children’s age increases, the prevalence of stunting also increases, and stunting is more common 

among male than female children. Stunting is also more common among children of mothers who are of 

short stature and mothers who are employed. Childhood anemia also varies by region, from 21% to 58%, 

but does not vary much by place of residence or wealth index. Similar to stunting, anemia is also more 

prevalent among male than female children. Maternal anemia is significantly associated with childhood 

anemia. Among IYCF practices, regression analysis showed that breastfeeding is significantly associated 

with lower odds of stunting, while consumption of iron-rich foods is inversely associated with childhood 

anemia.

The national estimate of stunting in Myanmar among children under age 5 is 29% (MOHS and ICF 2017). 

Among those under age 2, a recent review of 137 developing countries reported a prevalence of stunting of 

36% (Danaei et al. 2016), which is above the 20% prevalence reported in our study. A recent study in the 

Ayeyarwady region of Myanmar reported that stunting among children age 12-23 months was 35% (Hlaing 

et al. 2017), which is close to our regional estimate of stunting in Ayeyarwady (30%), and is consistent with

regional variations in stunting prevalence. Our study found that stunting is more prevalent in rural areas, 

among poor families, male children, children of small birth size, children of short stature, and children with 

working mothers. These findings are consistent with the findings of a study conducted in Ghana in 2011, 

which had found that child characteristics such as age, gender, reported size at childbirth, breastfeeding 

status, having diarrhea or fever in the preceding two weeks; household characteristics such as number of 

children in the household, child health insurance status, household wealth, ethnicity, religion and region 

were risk factors for undernutrition (Miah, Apanga, and Abdul-Haq 2016). In our study, children still being 

breastfed were less likely to be stunted. Apart from this, other IYCF practices are not associated with 

stunting. 

Our findings are not consistent with other studies in the region. A study in Bangladesh on IYCF practice 

among children age 0-23 months found that children fed with adequate dietary diverse foods were 

negatively associated with stunting (Zongrone, Winskell, and Menon 2012). Another study in India reported 

that children who were not fed minimum meal frequency had 63% higher odds of being stunted, and that 

lower consumption of eggs was associated with increased odds of stunting in children age 6-23 months 

(Aguayo et al. 2016). In contrast, another study in Sri Lanka stated that dietary diversity was not 

significantly associated with any anthropometric failure among children age 6-23 months (Perkins, 

Jayatissa, and Subramanian 2018). Our study found a protective effect of breastfeeding on stunting, which 

might be due to the immune correlates found in the breast milk or to the fact that breast milk may reduce 

exposure to other environmental pathogens. Compared with nonbreastfed children, breastfed children could 
20

be more likely to avoid the occurrence of diarrhea and respiratory infections and as a result could avert 

hospital admission (Victora et al. 2016). 

For anemia, our estimates for children age 6-23 months (76% for all anemia and 43% for moderate anemia) 

are higher than regional WHO estimates for any anemia among children age 6-59 months (WHO 2015a). 

However, our estimates are lower than in the study in Myanmar by Hlaing and colleagues, which found any 

anemia prevalence among children age 1-2 to be 88% (Hlaing et al. 2015). A global review of anemia

reported that anemia prevalence is highest among children under age 1 followed by age 1-4 compared with 

other age categories. Moreover this trend did not change favorably from 1990 to 2010 (Kassebaum et al. 

2014). Our study shows that the prevalence of anemia among children who consumed iron-rich foods is 

significantly lower than that of children who did not consume them. Moreover, mothers who attended four 

or more ANC visits also fed their children more iron-rich foods (Appendix A). 

These findings are not consistent with a Bangladesh study of anemia among children age 6-11 months and 

feeding practices, which showed that there was no association between anemia and previous-day 

consumption of iron-rich food and consumption of a minimum acceptable diet (Rawat et al. 2014). Another 

study in Laos found no association between anemia and breastfeeding (Kounnavong et al. 2011). The 

possible reason for the finding of no association of IYCF practices with stunting and moderate anemia in 

our study is that the DHS survey asked about feeding practices in the last 24 hours before interview and 

assumed it to be the usual dietary pattern. However, it might not be representative for all children because 

food consumption might vary day by day (Krasevec et al. 2017). Although IYCF indicators are simple and 

effective in assessing complementary feeding practices for large-scale surveys, the level of sensitivity and 

specificity of these indicators on dietary quality should be considered in assessing association of IYCF with 

the linear growth of children (Jones et al. 2014).

Although a study conducted in Myanmar stated that iron deficiency was the main cause of anemia, the 

biomarkers recommended by WHO for iron status in populations were not used in their study (Hlaing et al. 

2015). Our study could not provide the evidence of low iron levels among children with anemia, as the 

DHS does not collect biomarkers for iron status. Hence further research is needed to explore the main 

causes of anemia. Our study also found higher prevalence of childhood anemia among children of mothers 

who attended either one to three ANC visits or four and more compared with mothers with no ANC visits. 

This association might be because the DHS survey was cross-sectional, and in our analysis we were unable 

to control all possible confounders and their mediation. The association of ANC visits with childhood 

anemia may have been more indirect than direct, since anemia was not assessed directly after birth but 

rather when the child was older. Another possibility is that women who make more ANC visits are women 

who may also be more anemic themselves.

IYCF practices of Myanmar are poor among South/Southeast Asian countries. Regionally, Myanmar’s 

IYCF practices of minimum meal frequency, diverse food consumption, and minimum acceptable diet are 

lower than in Nepal, Cambodia, and Indonesia, and more or less similar to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and 

Bangladesh. Iron-rich food consumption in Myanmar is lower than in Cambodia and Indonesia but higher 

than in Bangladesh, Nepal, and India (International Institute for Population Sciences India and ICF 

International 2017; Ministry of Health Nepal and ICF 2017; Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and ICF 

2017; National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT) and ICF 2016; National Institute 

of Population Studies (NIPS) [Pakistan] and ICF 2013; National Institute of Statistics and ICF 2015; 
21

National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) and ICF 2013). Many factors influence IYCF 

practices. Among them, maternal characteristics of education and ANC visits were found to be far more 

important than other household variables such as family size, wealth index, and child characteristics. The 

study found that the higher the level of maternal education, the better the IYCF practices. Similarly, IYCF 

practices among mothers who attended four or more ANC visits were better than among mothers who 

attended fewer than four ANC visits. Details are presented in Appendix A. Hence improving female 

education and offering universal ANC services accompanied with community-based nutritional education 

could be an alternative way to improve IYCF practices. 

Strengths and Limitations

This study was the first to assess the association between IYCF practices and nutritional status of children 

age 6-23 months at the national level in Myanmar. The study findings are nationally representative. All the

analyses accounted for the cluster survey design, and the regression results were presented after adjusting

the covariates. As the 2015-16 Myanmar DHS is a cross-sectional study, our study cannot make any claims 

about the causality of the associations. Although IYCF practices were assessed by asking mothers about the 

types of liquids and foods the child consumed during the previous day or night (last 24 hours) before 

interview, respondent recall and reporting bias could have possibly influenced the results. We assumed that

the practices reported by mothers are more or less the same throughout the children’s life and assessed their 

association with stunting and anemia. Hence, if the reported practices and actual practice were different, it

would influence the study’s findings. All of the IYCF practices were calculated by combining information 

from more than one variable; as a result, the practices will be under- or over-estimated depending on the 

accuracy of the reported practices. 

23

5 CONCLUSIONS

The study found that among every five children age 6-23 months one was stunted and two were moderately 

anemic. Only half of children received minimum meal frequency, only one-fourth ate diverse food groups, 

fewer than one out of five had minimum acceptable diet and fewer than half received iron-rich foods. About 

85% children were still being breastfed and this practice was significantly associated with lower odds of 

stunting. Place of residence, child’s sex, perceived birth size, mother’s height, and employment status were 

also significant predictors of stunting. All IYCF practices studied were not associated with moderate anemia

except for iron-rich food consumption, which was inversely associated with moderate anemia. Among 

covariates, child’s sex and maternal anemia were also significant predictors of moderate anemia. 

The study concluded that stunting and anemia among children age 6-23 months in Myanmar are major 

public health challenges that require urgent action. Children should be fed with diverse food groups 

including iron-rich foods according to WHO complementary feeding guidelines. Continued breastfeeding 

to age 2 and beyond should also be promoted. Since stunting begins in the prenatal period, nutritional 

promotion for pregnant mothers and early and regular ANC visits should be encouraged. While further 

prospective research is needed to determine the effect of feeding practice on linear growth, interventions 

such as iron supplementation, deworming, and nutritional education programs could help prevent stunting 

and childhood anemia and might reduce their prevalence in Myanmar.

25

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29

APPENDIX
30

Appendix Table A Prevalence of infant and young child feeding practices by child, maternal, and household characteris

Currently 

breastfed

Minimum 

dietary diversity

Minimum 

meal frequency

Minimum 

acceptable dietir

% CI p value % CI p value % CI p value % CI p value % 

Child’s characteristics

Age <0.001 <0.001 0.051 0.004 

6-11 months 97.0 [94.6,98.4] 12.6 [9.0,17.2] 55.1 [50.0,60.0] 9.9 [6.7,14.4] 37.4 

12-17 months 87.1 [82.5,90.6] 27.8 [22.9,33.3] 55.1 [49.9,60.3] 19.2 [15.1,24.1] 65.5 

18-23 months 67.9 [61.4,73.7] 34.2 [28.8,40.0] 63.3 [57.2,69.0] 18.1 [14.1,22.9] 72.6 

Sex 0.087 0.022 0.550 0.736 

Male 82.7 [79.0,85.9] 27.8 [23.4,32.8] 56.7 [51.9,61.3] 16.2 [13.1,19.9] 59.1 

Female 86.6 [82.9,89.6] 21.2 [17.6,25.3] 58.7 [54.1,63.1] 15.4 [12.2,19.3] 57.8 

Perceived birth size 0.937 0.423 0.758 0.153 

Average and above 84.1 [81.1,86.8] 25.5 [22.2,29.0] 57.9 [54.1,61.5] 16.6 [14.0,19.6] 59.7 

Below average 83.9 [75.7,89.6] 22.0 [15.1,31.1] 56.3 [46.8,65.3] 11.0 [6.1,18.9] 49.6 

Birth order 0.215 0.031 0.572 0.060 

1st child 81.7 [76.8,85.8] 28.8 [23.8,34.4] 57.0 [51.8,61.9] 19.7 [15.4,24.7] 64.5 

2nd child 87.5 [82.5,91.2] 25.2 [20.3,30.7] 58.7 [52.3,64.8] 15.7 [11.7,20.7] 58.8 

3rd child 82.6 [74.4,88.5] 24.8 [18.4,32.6] 61.6 [53.4,69.2] 13.7 [8.9,20.5] 56.8 

4th and above 86.6 [81.6,90.5] 17.6 [12.8,23.7] 54.3 [47.1,61.4] 11.2 [7.7,16.1] 49.3 

Immunization status 0.373 0.285 0.249 0.432 

No/not complete 

immunization

83.7 [80.2,86.6] 23.7 [20.1,27.8] 56.2 [52.4,60.0] 15.2 [12.5,18.3] 56.7 

Complete immunization 86.4 [81.1,90.4] 27.1 [22.1,32.8] 60.6 [54.2,66.7] 17.4 [13.0,22.8] 62.4 

Vitamin A in last 6 months 0.007 0.012 0.021 0.033 

Not received/not known 88.0 [84.3,90.9] 20.8 [16.7,25.6] 53.7 [48.9,58.5] 13.2 [10.2,16.8] 51.7 

Received 81.0 [76.7,84.6] 28.9 [24.6,33.5] 61.6 [57.0,65.9] 18.6 [15.1,22.8] 65.5 

Deworming in last 6 months 0.005 <0.001 0.133 0.002 

No or don’t know 86.5 [83.7,88.8] 22.1 [18.9,25.8] 56.2 [52.4,59.9] 14.0 [11.5,16.8] 55.3 

Yes 77.5 [69.8,83.6] 34.3 [28.3,40.9] 62.8 [55.1,69.9] 22.6 [17.3,29.0] 70.1 

Fever in last two weeks 0.004 0.588 0.975 0.720 

No 82.8 [79.4,85.7] 25.2 [21.6,29.2] 57.6 [53.9,61.2] 15.6 [13.0,18.6] 58.0 

Yes 90.7 [86.3,93.8] 23.3 [18.1,29.4] 57.7 [51.4,63.8] 16.6 [12.2,22.2] 60.3 
31

Appendix Table A—Continued

Currently 

breastfed

Minimum 

dietary diversity

Minimum 

meal frequency

Minimum 

acceptable dietir

% CI p value % CI p value % CI p value % CI p value % 

Diarrhea in last two weeks 0.431 0.184 0.744 0.405 

No 84.9 [81.9,87.4] 23.9 [20.6,27.6] 57.4 [53.7,60.9] 15.4 [12.8,18.4] 58.4 

Yes 82.7 [76.4,87.5] 29.1 [22.3,37.0] 58.8 [50.7,66.5] 18.1 [12.8,25.1] 59.2 

Maternal characteristics

Age of mothers (years) 0.104 0.313 0.302 0.549 

Under 20 74.7 [56.2,87.2] 12.1 [4.5,28.7] 56.1 [39.5,71.5] 10.3 [3.4,27.3] 37.0 

20-29 82.9 [78.9,86.3] 25.4 [21.0,30.3] 54.6 [50.5,58.7] 15.3 [12.1,19.3] 62.2 

30-39 87.7 [83.7,90.9] 25.8 [21.6,30.4] 60.7 [55.2,65.9] 17.5 [14.2,21.4] 58.3 

40-47 82.4 [71.7,89.6] 21.6 [13.4,32.9] 61.5 [49.2,72.5] 12.9 [6.8,23.1] 45.4 

Mother’s educational level 0.723 <0.001 0.665 0.009 

No education 83.6 [75.0,89.7] 15.0 [8.7,24.6] 53.2 [45.8,60.5] 9.8 [5.1,18.1] 45.2 

Primary 85.9 [81.7,89.2] 21.4 [17.6,25.7] 58.1 [52.9,63.1] 13.6 [10.7,17.2] 54.1 

Secondary 83.9 [79.1,87.8] 27.8 [22.9,33.3] 58.0 [52.3,63.4] 19.2 [15.2,24.0] 66.8 

Higher 80.9 [70.2,88.3] 49.8 [38.2,61.4] 61.5 [48.6,72.9] 26.1 [17.5,36.9] 75.1 

Mother’s employment status 0.077 0.026 0.001 0.096 

Not working 87.0 [82.7,90.3] 20.7 [16.6,25.5] 50.6 [45.2,56.0] 13.3 [10.0,17.4] 57.4 

Working 82.7 [79.3,85.6] 27.5 [23.4,32.0] 62.5 [58.3,66.5] 17.5 [14.4,21.1] 59.3 

Mother’s height 0.982 0.104 0.687 0.021 

< 150 cm 84.7 [80.1,88.4] 24.6 [19.5,30.5] 58.5 [53.1,63.8] 15.0 [11.5,19.5] 54.2 

150 - 159 cm 84.3 [80.9,87.2] 23.1 [19.7,26.8] 56.3 [51.8,60.7] 14.5 [11.7,17.9] 59.4 

≥ 160 cm 84.8 [73.4,91.9] 34.5 [24.2,46.5] 61.2 [48.1,72.9] 27.0 [17.8,38.9] 68.5 

Number of ANC visits 0.729 0.003 0.085 <0.001 

None 86.6 [79.0,91.8] 13.0 [7.3,22.2] 46.5 [36.6,56.7] 3.5 [1.2,9.9] 41.9 

1-3 85.8 [80.6,89.8] 20.4 [15.2,26.8] 58.3 [52.2,64.0] 12.6 [8.8,17.8] 53.3 

4 + 84.1 [80.5,87.2] 28.5 [24.9,32.3] 58.9 [54.7,63.1] 19.7 [16.7,23.1] 63.4 

Birth interval group 0.169 0.084 0.485 0.093 

≥24 months 87.0 [83.7,89.7] 23.3 [19.8,27.2] 58.1 [53.7,62.3] 14.7 [11.9,18.0] 56.2 

<24 months 81.2 [69.3,89.2] 14.8 [8.5,24.5] 53.8 [42.3,64.9] 7.1 [2.9,16.3] 45.1 
32

Appendix Table A—Continued

Currently 

breastfed

Minimum 

dietary diversity

Minimum 

meal frequency

Minimum 

acceptable dietir

% CI p value % CI p value % CI p value % CI p value % 

Maternal anemia (<11 g/dl) 0.069 0.18 0.061 0.552 

No 82.3 [78.4,85.6] 26.0 [21.8,30.7] 60.4 [56.0,64.6] 16.0 [12.8,19.9] 60.9 

Yes 86.9 [82.9,90.0] 22.3 [18.5,26.5] 53.7 [48.4,59.0] 14.7 [11.7,18.3] 55.6 

Household characteristics

Place of residence 0.043 0.001 0.113 0.023 

Urban 80.1 [74.3,84.9] 33.9 [27.5,40.9] 53.0 [46.3,59.6] 20.8 [15.9,26.7] 69.0 

Rural 86.0 [82.8,88.7] 21.7 [18.3,25.5] 59.1 [55.3,62.9] 14.2 [11.6,17.3] 54.9 

Region of residence <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 

Kachin 73.7 [61.4,83.1] 37.5 [26.0,50.7] 39.3 [29.4,50.1] 18.0 [10.2,29.9] 62.5 

Kayah 79.2 [69.8,86.2] 21.6 [13.2,33.3] 74.1 [63.1,82.8] 14.6 [7.0,27.9] 55.0 

Kayin 84.7 [74.5,91.2] 17.8 [9.9,30.0] 37.8 [27.6,49.2] 6.4 [2.7,14.1] 50.6 

Chin 87.8 [81.2,92.4] 11.8 [5.4,23.7] 55.4 [46.4,64.1] 6.4 [2.3,16.5] 49.8 

Sagaing 94.5 [88.2,97.5] 9.5 [5.2,16.8] 58.6 [46.0,70.2] 6.0 [2.3,14.5] 57.9 

Tanintharyi 85.0 [76.1,91.0] 19.1 [12.6,27.9] 62.6 [45.8,76.8] 13.2 [7.7,21.9] 57.8 

Bago 87.3 [77.5,93.2] 28.8 [20.8,38.3] 60.8 [50.4,70.3] 20.3 [13.3,29.8] 59.3 

Magway 95.0 [84.3,98.5] 32.3 [22.1,44.4] 78.1 [65.6,87.0] 24.2 [15.4,36.0] 62.7 

Mandalay 80.6 [68.2,89.0] 46.8 [36.3,57.6] 80.6 [71.8,87.1] 32.3 [23.5,42.5] 67.4 

Mon 86.4 [70.3,94.4] 14.1 [7.2,25.7] 60.5 [43.3,75.4] 6.3 [2.6,14.9] 51.2 

Rakhine 88.5 [80.1,93.6] 17.0 [10.6,26.1] 34.5 [26.6,43.4] 7.2 [3.2,15.6] 54.3 

Yangon 90.2 [83.1,94.5] 14.1 [7.4,25.0] 40.5 [30.2,51.8] 11.3 [5.3,22.5] 67.6 

Shan 65.7 [53.9,75.8] 30.8 [19.0,45.9] 63.4 [53.5,72.3] 17.1 [9.8,28.2] 46.2 

Ayeyarwady 87.5 [77.5,93.4] 20.5 [13.9,29.3] 51.9 [41.8,61.8] 12.9 [8.2,19.7] 59.4 

Nay Pyi Taw 93.9 [84.3,97.8] 41.1 [30.4,52.8] 73.0 [57.3,84.5] 36.6 [25.5,49.4] 71.4 

Family members <0.001 0.053 0.709 0.024 

< 5 90.3 [86.0,93.4] 26.5 [21.6,32.1] 56.2 [50.3,62.0] 19.9 [15.6,25.0] 58.0 

5-6 85.6 [81.2,89.0] 20.4 [16.2,25.5] 59.3 [54.0,64.4] 11.4 [7.9,16.1] 56.1 

>6 77.8 [72.2,82.5] 28.5 [23.1,34.6] 56.8 [50.7,62.6] 17.6 [13.5,22.6] 62.0 
33

Appendix Table A—Continued

Currently 

breastfed

Minimum 

dietary diversity

Minimum 

meal frequency

Minimum 

acceptable dietir

% CI p value % CI p value % CI p value % CI p value % 

Wealth Index 0.002 <0.001 0.407 0.010 

Poorest 88.3 [82.6,92.2] 18.5 [13.8,24.4] 54.1 [47.8,60.4] 10.8 [7.6,15.2] 51.3 

Poorer 87.4 [81.7,91.5] 18.3 [13.5,24.3] 54.6 [47.8,61.2] 13.6 [9.3,19.3] 57.9 

Middle 89.2 [83.0,93.3] 22.7 [17.2,29.4] 62.4 [54.5,69.6] 15.6 [11.0,21.5] 51.1 

Richer 79.3 [72.7,84.6] 31.7 [24.0,40.6] 59.5 [51.4,67.1] 20.8 [14.8,28.2] 66.9 

Richest 75.1 [66.2,82.2] 38.7 [30.8,47.1] 60.2 [52.0,67.9] 22.3 [16.5,29.3] 70.1 

Total 84.5 [81.7,86.9] 24.8 [21.7,28.2] 57.6 [54.3,60.8] 15.9 [13.5,18.6] 58.5