Egyir Bridget K, Ramsay Samantha A, Bilderback Barry, Safaii SeAnne
School of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Idaho, Niccolls Bldg. Room 109B, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 3183, Moscow, ID, 83843-3183, USA.
University of Idaho, Blake House, Room 108, Moscow, ID, 83843, USA.
Matern Child Health J. 2016 Sep;20(9):1886-94. doi: 10.1007/s10995-016-1994-0.
Objective Appropriate and timely complementary feeding practices are fundamental to a child's growth, health, and development during the first 2 years of life. This study aimed to understand (1) Ghanaian mother's complementary feeding practices, and (2) their perceived and observed impacts of complementary feeding on their children. Methods Ghanaian mothers with children 4-24 months of age were recruited from four communities in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem district in the Central Region of Ghana (n = 99). A qualitative methodological approach with focus group interview discussions was used. Eleven focus group interviews were conducted, and were audio recorded and transcribed. The audio transcriptions were coded and analyzed into pertinent themes, meta-themes, and theoretical concepts. Results Over 80 % (85) of mothers reported poor knowledge about the effects of complementary feeding on their children and 45 % (45) of the children were undernourished, indicating inappropriate complementary feeding practices. Some mothers held misconceptions about the effect of food on children's health. Four overarching themes were identified: (1) mothers' background knowledge about food, child health and growth outcomes, (2) mothers' motivation in feeding their children, (3) barriers to feeding, (4) foods mothers offered their children. Conclusion for Practice Nutrition education on complementary feeding is needed for Ghanaian mothers. Health facilities and community outreach programs could be a venue to provide education to mothers regarding infant and young child feeding practices in Ghana.
目的 适当且及时的辅食添加做法对于儿童出生后头两年的生长、健康和发育至关重要。本研究旨在了解：（1）加纳母亲的辅食添加做法；（2）她们对辅食添加对孩子的感知及观察到的影响。方法 从加纳中部地区科门达埃迪纳埃瓜福阿布雷姆区的四个社区招募了有4至24个月大孩子的加纳母亲（n = 99）。采用了聚焦小组访谈讨论的定性研究方法。进行了11次聚焦小组访谈，并进行了录音和转录。对音频转录内容进行编码，并分析为相关主题、元主题和理论概念。结果 超过80%（85位）的母亲表示对辅食添加对孩子的影响了解不足，45%（45名）的孩子营养不良，这表明存在不适当的辅食添加做法。一些母亲对食物对孩子健康的影响存在误解。确定了四个总体主题：（1）母亲关于食物、儿童健康和生长结果的背景知识；（2）母亲喂养孩子的动机；（3）喂养障碍；（4）母亲给孩子提供的食物。实践结论 加纳母亲需要接受关于辅食添加的营养教育。卫生设施和社区外展项目可以作为向加纳母亲提供婴幼儿喂养做法教育的场所。
