Nutritional Status and Existing Early Childhood Feeding Practice of under-Five Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Bangladesh

Introduction: The present study aimed at evaluating the prevalence of malnutrition and its association with existing feeding practices and other factors among under-five (U5) children in a rural setting of Bangladesh. Aim: This study aimed to explore the nutritional status, feeding practices, and demographic profiles of under-five (U5) children in rural Bangladesh. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out on 404 children (0-59 months) from the Noakhali district, Bangladesh. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the significant predictor variables for child malnutrition. Results: The study revealed, there were 30.4% stunting, 37.3% underweight, and 16% wasting in children. A strong relationship was found between underweight and three variables, namely- maternal education, paternal occupation, and child's age (p