Berhan Tekeba ^1,2* Belayneh S. Workneh ² Alebachew F. Zegeye ² Almaz Tefera Gonete ² Gebreeyesus A. Zeleke ² Tadesse T. Tamir ²

• ¹ University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
• ² College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Introduction: Inappropriate feeding practices are a major contributor to child malnutrition. To monitor the feeding practices of young children, current and frequent studies are required.However, as far as our searches are concerned, there is a scarcity of up-to-date information on attainment of the minimum acceptable diet and its predictors in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of attainment of the minimum acceptable diet and its associated factors among children aged 6-23 in Ghana.Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted based on the demographic and health survey data conducted in Ghana in 2022. A total weighted sample of 2,621 children aged 6-23 months preceding the survey was included in this study. A multi-level logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants of the minimum acceptable diet. The adjusted odds ratio at 95% Cl was computed to assess the strength and significance of the association between explanatory and outcome variables. Factors with a p-value of <0.05 are declared statistically significant.The national prevalence of the attainment of the minimum acceptable diet in Ghana was 26.40% (95% CI: 24.82-28.06). Child from mother with higher education (AOR =1.96; 95% CI, 1.56-3.31) and father with higher education (AOR =1.59; 95% CI, 1.04-2.41), Children having post natal visit (AOR =1.29; 95% CI, 1.03-1.62), being in the child age of 9-11 months (AOR =2.09; 95% CI, 1.42-5.03) and 12 to 23 months (AOR = 3.62; 95% CI, 2.61-5.03), being in a middle (AOR = 1.66; 95% CI, 1.14-3.06), and rich wealth quintile (AOR = 2.06; 95% CI, 1.37-3.10), breastfed children (AOR = 3.30; 95% CI, 2.38-4.56), being in a high community poverty (AOR = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.44-0.96), and being in the Savannah region (AOR = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.16-0.67) were factors significantly associated with the minimum acceptable diet use.Many children are still far behind in meeting the minimum acceptable diet in Ghana. Measures should be taken to optimize the minimum acceptable diet attainment in the country. Thus, policymakers, and the government should focus on the early initiation of complementary feeding, Savannah region, empowering women, and enhancing breast feeding and household wealth status.