Caregiver–infant's feeding behaviours are associated with energy intake of 9‐11 month‐old infants in rural Ethiopia

Inappropriate complementary feeding, both in quantity and quality, is a major determinant of undernutrition. However, little is known about how infant–caregiver's feeding behaviours affect infants' energy intake. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterize infant–caregiver feeding behaviours and investigate their association with infants' energy intake. The study involved 106 mother–child pairs recruited from seven randomly selected kebeles of Mecha district, West Gojam, Ethiopia. The feeding styles were assessed through observations of 1‐day, in‐home, feeding episodes that were videotaped and coded into self‐feeding, responsive, active, distracting, and social feeding behaviours. Infants' haemoglobin and anthropometric measurements were taken. The association between feeding behaviour scores and energy intake per meal was investigated. The mean food intake of the infants was very low (11.4 ± 7.0 g/kg body weight per meal) compared to the minimum theoretical gastric capacity (30 g/kg body weight per meal). Infants' haemoglobin concentration was negatively associated with energy intake (ρ = 0.178, p = .03). Infants' responsive and active positive feeding styles were positively associated with energy intakes (ρ = 0.258 and 0.432, p = .004 and p < .001, respectively) as well as caregivers' responsive positive feeding styles (ρ = 0.237, p = .007). Both haemoglobin concentrations and feeding styles were associated with infant's energy intake. Anaemia prevention and control measures should be reinforced. Current nutrition education programmes should give emphasis on ways to effectively incorporate culturally adapted responsive feeding messages in this and similar settings.