Background
Inappropriate complementary feeding is a major contributor to child malnutrition. Previous studies have described complementary feeding practice using single indicators but a combination of indicators is needed to better explain the role of complementary feeding practices in child growth. To adequately quantify appropriate complementary feeding, we used a composite indicator comprising three of the World Health Organization (WHO) core infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators that relate closely to complementary feeding.

Methods
A community-based cross sectional cluster survey was carried out in November 2013. The study population comprised mothers/primary caregivers and their children selected using a two-stage cluster sampling procedure. A total of 778 children aged 6–23 months were involved.

Results
Of the children aged 6–23 months; 57.3 % met the minimum meal frequency, 35.3 % received minimum dietary diversity (≥4 food groups), 25.2 % had received minimum acceptable diet and only 14.3 % received appropriate complementary feeding.

Multivariable logistic regression adjusted for cluster sampling showed that children aged 12–23 months were 26.6 times more likely [AOR 26.57; 95 % CI (3.66–193.12)] to receive appropriate complementary feeding compared to children aged 6–8 months. Children who were not bottled-fed were 2.5 times more likely to have been appropriately fed [AOR 2.51; 95 % CI (1.98–6.42)] compared to children who were bottle-fed in the last 24 h prior to study.

Conclusions
Findings from this study demonstrate appropriate complementary feeding and caring practices by caregivers remain a challenge for most households in Northern Ghana.