Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Mekelle University, Mek'ele, Ethiopia.
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
PLoS One. 2021 Apr 30;16(4):e0250696. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250696. eCollection 2021.
While lactation is a physiological process requiring high energy demand to fulfill the nutrient requirements of the mother and the breastfeeding child, many factors affecting maternal nutrient intake can lead to nutritional deficits. Previous studies in Ethiopia have reported the prevalence of maternal and child undernutrition and related complications. However, qualitative studies exploring potential barriers to utilizing available nutrition interventions are limited. This study, therefore, sought to qualitatively explore barriers hindering the uptake of nutrition services among lactating mothers from rural communities in Tigray, northern Ethiopia.
We conducted 6 in-depth interviews, 70 key informant interviews, and 13 focus group discussions among purposively selected community groups, experts, and lactating mothers between November- 2017 and January- 2018. Audio records of all interviews and focus group discussions were transcribed verbatim (word-to-word) and translated into English. Then, translated data were analyzed thematically using qualitative data analysis software Atlas ti-version 7.4.
The participants in this study perceived that lactating mothers in their study area are not properly utilizing available and recommended nutrition interventions, and as a result, their nutrient intake was reported as inadequate. Participants identified inadequate accessibility and availability of foods, feeding practices, cultural and religious influences, focus on agricultural production and productivity, barriers related to health services and poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene as major barriers hindering the uptake of nutrition interventions by lactating women in Tigray, northern Ethiopia.
The uptake of nutrition intervention services was low among lactating mothers and was hindered by multiple socio-cultural and health service related factors requiring problem-specific interventions at community, health facility, and administrative levels to improve the nutritional status of lactating mothers in the study area.
哺乳是一个需要高能量需求的生理过程，以满足母亲和母乳喂养婴儿的营养需求，但许多影响产妇营养摄入的因素可能导致营养不足。以前在埃塞俄比亚的研究报告了母婴营养不足和相关并发症的流行情况。然而，探索利用现有营养干预措施的潜在障碍的定性研究有限。因此，本研究旨在定性探讨阻碍提格利地区农村社区哺乳期母亲获得营养服务的障碍。
我们于 2017 年 11 月至 2018 年 1 月期间，在提格雷地区，通过有针对性地选择社区团体、专家和哺乳期母亲，进行了 6 次深入访谈、70 次关键知情人访谈和 13 次焦点小组讨论。所有访谈和焦点小组讨论的音频记录都逐字逐句地转录（逐字）并翻译成英语。然后，使用定性数据分析软件 Atlas ti 版本 7.4 对翻译数据进行主题分析。
本研究的参与者认为，他们研究地区的哺乳期母亲没有正确利用现有的和推荐的营养干预措施，因此，她们的营养摄入被报告为不足。参与者认为，食物的可及性和可得性不足、喂养方式、文化和宗教影响、对农业生产和生产力的关注、与卫生服务相关的障碍以及获取水、卫生和个人卫生设施的机会有限是阻碍提格雷地区哺乳期妇女接受营养干预的主要障碍。
哺乳期母亲对营养干预服务的接受程度较低，受到多种社会文化和卫生服务相关因素的阻碍，需要在社区、卫生机构和行政层面采取具体问题具体干预措施，以改善研究地区哺乳期母亲的营养状况。
