Minimum Acceptable Diet 6-23 months (MAD)

Indicator Name

Indicator ID in PRIME

Definition

This indicator measures the percentage of children 6-23 months of age who consumed a minimum acceptable diet during the previous day.

Numerator

Number of children 6-23 months of age who consumed a minimum acceptable diet during the previous day
The minimum acceptable diet is defined as:
- For breastfed children: receiving at least the minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency for their age during the previous day.
- For non-breastfed children: receiving at least the minimum dietary diversity and minimum meal frequency for their age during the previous day as well as at least two milk feeds.

Denominator

Total number of children 6-23 months of age

Recommended Means of Verification

According to WHO/UNICEF 2010 guidance (see below), the calculation of this indicator is different for breastfed and non-breastfed children:

Breastfed children: A breastfed child is considered to have a Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD) if the child:
1) Met the Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF) for breastfed children.
2) During the previous day and night consumed meals consisting of at least 4 food groups used by the Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) indicator; however, not counting the food group ""breast milk"".

Non-breastfed children: A non-breastfed child is considered to have a Minimum Acceptable Diet if the child:
1) Met the Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF) for non-breastfed children.
2) During the previous day and night consumed meals consisting of at least 4 food groups used by the Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) indicator; however, not counting the food group ""dairy products"" (see comment below).
3) During the previous day and night consumed at least 2 milk feedings (this includes infant formula / milk / yogurt).

To calculate the indicator's value, add up the number of 1) breastfed and 2) non-breastfed children who had a MAD. Divide this number by the total number of surveyed breastfed and non-breastfed children. Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage

Indicator Prioritisation

Level of Indicator

Indicator Context Type

Theme

Sub Theme

Common Approach

Total Reach Indicator

Frequency of Data Collection

Unit of Measure

Data Format

Direction of Desired Change

Number of Decimal Points

Indicator is Rounding

Nature

Recommended Disaggregations

Additional Guidance

Indicators for Assessing Infant and Young Children Feeding Practices (WHO/UNICEF 2021): https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240018389

Indikit: MAD indicator guidance:
https://www.indikit.net/indicator/18-minimum-acceptable-diet-mad