Infant, Young Child Feeding Practices, their Influencers and Barriers in Dibrugarh District, Assam-A Mixed Method Study.

Background: Every infant and child possess fundamental right to adequate nutrition. Nearly 1/5 Materials and Methods: This mixed-method study was conducted from March 2023 to February 2024; it included children aged 0-23 months and their primary caregivers. Considering the prevalence of children (6-8 months) receiving solid/semisolid food and breastmilk in Assam as 51.7%, with 20% relative precision, 95% confidence interval (CI), design effect of 2, and 10% nonresponse rate, the sample size became 198, rounded up to 210. Four communities were purposefully selected for FGDs, with two FGDs per community. Data were collected via house-to-house visits using the UNICEF/WHO schedule. FGDs were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were applied, and the unadjusted odds ratio (U-OR) was calculated with 95% CI. Results: Only 66.7% were exclusively breastfed; while 55.9% children received solid, semisolid or soft foods 6-8 months. Only 36.7% achieved minimum acceptable diet, while bottle feeding 0-23 months occurred in 59.5% of children. Rural, ST children were significantly less likely to have early initiation of breastfeeding. Early introduction of complementary foods is driven by both tradition (tribal community use "Apong" rice beer; Muslim community use sugar water prelacteally) and necessity (Riverine community starts early due to work/financial demands). Reliance on traditional healers and practices-such as Jhar phook (Muslim), Domai (Riverine), and rituals against the "evil eye" (Missing community)-remains a dominant feature. Conclusion: Our study shows that higher SES, education, paternal involvement, and avoiding teenage pregnancies improve IYCF practices. Cultural beliefs and financial constraints also impact dietary choices.