Objective: To describe complementary feeding time among 0-5 years old children in 2013 in China.
Methods: Data was from the China Nutrition and Health Surveillance in 2013. A stratified multistage cluster sampling was used from 31 provinces( autonomous regions and municipalities) and selected 55 districts/counties. The study included 24 580 children aged 0-5 years. The basic situation and complementary feeding of children aged 0-5 years were collected by questionnaires.
Results: The average time for children aged 0-5 years in China to start complementary foods was 6. 1 months. The urban( 5. 7 months) was earlier than the rural( 6. 4 months), large cities, medium and small cities, general rural and poor rural areas were 5. 5, 5. 8, 6. 9 and 5. 5 months, respectively. The proportions of early complementary feeding( < 4 months) and late complementary feeding( > 9 months) were 10. 2 %( n = 2496) and 9. 5%( n = 2336), which were 7. 3% and 5. 5% respectively in urban area and 13. 1% and 13. 7%respectively in rural area. The proportions of early complementary feeding was the highest( 19. 6%) in poor rural areas, the proportions of late complementary feeding was the highest( 15%) in the general rural areas. The rate of introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods was 82. 3%, the urban( 89. 4%) was higher than the rural( 73. 6%), and it was the lowest( 63. 4%) in the poor rural areas.
Conclusion: There were both early complementary feeding and late complementary feeding among 0-5 years children in China in 2013, and the regional difference were significant. It is more likely to add complementary foods too early or too late in rural areasthan in urban areas, especially in poor rural areas.
Keywords: children; complementary food; feeding time.