Table 2 Prevalence of Minimum Dietary Diversity by selected socio-demographic characteristics in children aged 6–23 months

Mother’s education

< 0.001

No education

9,619

79.9

2,415

20.1

12,034

Primary

5,657

77.3

1,661

22.7

7,318

Secondary

25,542

76.2

7,982

23.8

33,524

Higher secondary & above

7,290

74.9

2,444

25.1

9,734

Mother’s currently working status

< 0.001

No

6,130

77.2

1,809

22.8

7,939

Yes

1,108

69.7

481

30.3

1,589

Mother’s age at first birth

= 0.131

< 18 years

8,809

76.3

2,736

23.7

11,545

> 18 years

39,299

77.0

11,766

23.0

51,065

Mother’s age at first marriage

< 0.001

< 18 years

20,797

77.9

5,893

22.1

26,690

> 18 years

27,238

76.0

8,581

24.0

35,819

Mother’s BMI

< 0.001

Underweight

10,640

78.7

2,882

21.3

13,522

Normal BMI

29,225

76.9

8,782

23.1

38,007

Overweight & obese

6,995

73.6

2,503

26.4

9,498

Religion

< 0.001

Hindu

36,495

78.8

9,828

21.2

46,323

Muslim

6,653

74.8

2,238

25.2

8,891

Others

4,960

67.1

2,436

32.9

7,396

Caste

< 0.001

SCs

9,968

78.0

2,810

22.0

12,778

STs

9,002

71.8

3,532

28.2

12,534

OBC

19,108

79.6

4,897

20.4

24,005

Others

7,647

76.4

2,359

23.6

10,006

Number of living children in HH

< 0.001

1–2 children

35,820

76.7

10,897

23.3

46,717

3–4 children

10,233

78.0

2,889

22.0

13,122

5 & above children

2,055

74.2

716

25.8

2,771

Wealth status

< 0.001

Poor

23,959

77.8

6,841

22.2

30,800

Middle

9,479

76.5

2,905

23.5

12,384

Rich

14,670

75.5

4,756

24.5

19,426

Type of place of residence

< 0.001

Urban

9,631

75.6

3,102

24.4

12,733

Rural

38,477

77.1

11,400

22.9

49,877

Region

< 0.001

North

8,708

78.4

2,405

21.6

11,113

Central

13,255

83.5

2,617

16.5

15,872

East

9,240

73.9

3,255

26.1

12,495

Northeast

6,227

68.4

2,871

31.6

9,098

West

4,698

81.9

1,039

18.1

5,737

South

5,980

72.1

2,315

27.9

8,295

Sex of household head

< 0.001

Male

40,991

77.2

12,082

22.8

53,073

Female

7,117

74.6

2,420

25.4

9,537

Child’s sex

= 0.419

Male

25,031

77.0

7,490

23.0

32,521

Female

23,077

76.7

7,012

23.3

30,089

Child’s age

< 0.001

6–11 months

18,923

88.1

2,567

11.9

21,490

12–18 months

18,623

73.1

6,850

26.9

25,473

19–23 months

10,562

67.5

5,085

32.5

15,647

Child’s birth order

< 0.001

First

18,868

78.1

5,305

21.9

24,173

Second

15,799

74.9

5,296

25.1

21,095

Three and above

13,441

77.5

3,901

22.5

17,342

Child’s birth weight

< 0.001

Underweight

7,807

79.0

2,074

21.0

9,881

Normal

30,094

76.3

9,337

23.7

39,431

Overweight

6,260

75.1

2,072

24.9

8,332

Child’s currently breastfeeding

< 0.001

No

7,127

81.2

1,651

18.8

8,778

Yes

40,981

76.1

12,851

23.9

53,832

Total (N)

48,108

76.8

14,502

23.2

62,610