Dietary Variation among Children Meeting and Not Meeting Minimum Dietary Diversity: An Empirical Investigation of Food Group Consumption Patterns among 73,036 Children in India

Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) is a widely used indicator of adequate
dietary micronutrient density for children 6–23 mo old. MDD food-group data
remain underutilized, despite their potential for further informing nutrition
programs and policies. We aimed to describe the diets of children meeting
MDD and not meeting MDD in India using food group data, nationally and
subnationally. Food group data for children 6–23 mo old (n = 73,036) from
the 2015–16 National Family Health Survey in India were analyzed. Per WHO
standards, children consuming ≥5 of the following food groups in the past
day or night met MDD: breast milk; grains, roots, or tubers; legumes or nuts;
dairy; flesh foods; eggs; vitamin A–rich fruits and vegetables; and other fruits
and vegetables. Children not meeting MDD consumed <5 food groups. We
analyzed the number and types of foods consumed by children meeting
MDD and not meeting MDD at the national and subnational geographic
levels. Nationally, children not meeting MDD most often consumed breast
milk (84.5%), grains, roots, and tubers (62.0%), and/or dairy (42.9%). Children
meeting MDD most often consumed grains, roots, and tubers (97.6%), vitamin
A–rich fruits and vegetables (93.8%), breast milk (84.1%), dairy (82.1%), other
fruits and vegetables (79.5%), and/or eggs (56.5%). For children not meeting
MDD, district-level dairy consumption varied the most (6.4%–79.9%), whereas
flesh foods consumption varied the least (0.0%–43.8%). For children meeting
MDD, district-level egg consumption varied the most (0.0%–100.0%), whereas
grains, roots, and tubers consumption varied the least (66.8%–100.0%).
Children not meeting MDD had low fruit, vegetable, and protein-rich food
consumption. Many children meeting MDD also had low protein-rich food
consumption. Examining the number and types of foods consumed highlights
priorities for children experiencing the greatest dietary deprivation, providing
valuable complementary information to MDD.