Nigusu Worku ^1* Amare Mesfin Workie ² Lamrot Abay ³ Mihret Getnet ^4,5 Wubshet Debebe Negash ¹ Adina Yeshambel ¹ Lakew Asmare ³ Hiwot Tadesse Alemu ¹ Demiss Mulatu Geberu ¹ Melak Jejaw ¹ Kaleb Demissie ¹ Misganaw Guadie Tiruneh ¹ Asebe Hagos ¹

• ¹ Department of Health Systems and Policy, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia., Gondar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia
• ² Department of Nutrition and Dietitcs, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia., Dessie, Ethiopia
• ³ Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Science, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia., Gondar, Ethiopia
• ⁴ Department of Human Physiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia., Gondar, Ethiopia
• ⁵ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia., Gondar, Ethiopia

Background: Globally, during the first two years of a child's life, inappropriate feeding practices contribute to more than two-thirds of child's mortality. Ethiopia has suffered from double burdens of malnutrition, with both overnutrition and undernutrition posing significant challenges, particularly for children. Undernutrition is mainly prevalent due to disparities in wealth and education across the country. Therefore, this study is aimed to assess socio-economic inequalities in minimum dietary diversity practice among Ethiopian children 6-23 months of age and its potential contribution of inequalities.The study used the recent datasets of mini-DHS of 2019. A total of 1,511 weighted samples were used. Microsoft excel and STATA v.14 software were employed to extract, clean, and analyse data. A probit model decomposition analysis was performed. The concentration index and curve were used for the examination of household wealth status and maternal education level inequalities in the minimum dietary diversity.The total weighted prevalence of MDD among under five children in Ethiopia was 13.5%. Wealth and educational status have positive concentration index (CIX) value of inequality, as a resul the concentration curve showed under the equality line the CIX with household and maternal education status were (CIX: 0.1034, p < 0.0029), and (CIX: 0.1057, p < 0.0002), respectively. This indicate a greater concetration of inequalities among privileged women. The decomposition analysis revealed that household wealth status: (58.23%) contributed by wealth status, (36.38%) place of delivery, (30.47%) maternal education and (21.5%) administration region explained the pro-rich inequalities in MDD in Ethiopia.Conclusions: This study found that there is high inequalities with regard to wealth and maternal education towards MDD. As a result, policy makers and healthcare workers need to develop effective strategies to tackle the underlying causes of inequalities in reaching MDD especifically targeted on household wealth status, and maternal educational status.