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Assessing complementary feeding practices in the first two years of life: a proposal for indicators and a monitoring tool

The aim of this article is to propose indicators and a tool for monitoring complementary feeding in under-two children in Brazil, describing its formulation. The study constructed a theoretical model of attributes, components, and markers of complementary feeding that serves as the basis for systematizing the feeding recommendations related to key concepts in the model. The recommendations were transformed into indicators. A questionnaire was constructed, based on the indicators' variables. Two workshops were held with specialists in complementary feeding to discuss the indicators and the instrument, in addition to four pretests with the target population. The study presents 18 indicators related to the timing, nutritional adequacy, and safety of complementary feeding, as well as a questionnaire that allows the construction of the proposed indicators. The model can be applied in surveys with face-to-face or telephone interviews or in activities in health services to monitor food consumption. Further research is necessary to validate the questionnaire.

Supplementary; Feeding; Infant Nutrition; Recommended Dietary Allowances


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