Factors associated with timely complementary feeding among children aged 6–23 months in Kenya; a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Adequate nutrition is essential for proper growth, development, and disease prevention during the first 1000 days of life. Introducing solid, semi-solid, or liquid foods in addition to breast milk, also known as complementary feeding (CF), earlier or later than the recommended 6 months, is associated with poor nutritional outcomes in children under the age of two. Given the limited evidence, this study aimed to determine the factors associated with timely complementary feeding in children aged 6-23 months. METHODS: We used data from the first round of Kenya's 2017 Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA) survey. The dependent variable, timely CF, was defined as "the introduction of other feeds apart from breast milk at 6 months." Frequencies, percentages, and 95% confidence intervals were used to describe the sample characteristics and prevalence of timely CF. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the determinants of timely complementary feeding. RESULTS: Of the 3,084 mothers included in the study, most were married (82.1%), aged 20-34 years (78.8%), and unemployed (75.5%). The overall weighted prevalence of timely CF was 51.7% (95% CI 47.6, 55.9), with a higher prevalence among the richest (66.6%), urban residents (60.6%), and mothers with a tertiary education (61.1%). After adjusting for other covariates, mothers aged 20-34 years had lower odds of practicing timely complementary feeding than those aged 35-49 years (aOR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.52-0.99). Similarly, children from wealthier households were more likely to receive timely complementary feeding, with the odds increasing across wealth quintiles from the poorer (aOR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.30-2.19) to the richest (aOR = 3.32, 95% CI: 1.97-5.60). CONCLUSION: Timely complementary feeding remains suboptimal in Kenya despite strong policy frameworks, indicating implementation gaps and the need for targeted interventions to address socioeconomic and regional disparities.