Division Human Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, PO Box 241, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa.
Institut Régional de Santé Publique, Université d'Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin.
J Health Popul Nutr. 2021 Jul 23;40(1):33. doi: 10.1186/s41043-021-00258-7.
Malnutrition is a major public health problem. It contributes to the high death rate among children in developing countries despite the various advocacies of institutions such as WHO and FAO and many other organisations. More research needs to be done in order to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The aim of this study was to explore socio-cultural practices and their influence on feeding practices of mothers and their children in Grand Popo, Benin.
A qualitative research methodology was used with an inductive approach. A pretested discussion guide was used to conduct focus group discussions with participants in their local language. Four focus group discussions were held in 4 villages located in both the rural and the semi-urban areas with each focus group comprising seven to eight participants. The study protocol was approved by the Health Research Ethics Committee of Stellenbosch University. Focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed and translated to English. The data was analysed following the Creswell data analysis steps.
All the children were breastfed, and 56.1% of children under 6 months received breast milk exclusively. Children were introduced to family foods at 5 months with very low consumption of animal protein and fruits. Mothers and children had monotonous diets with high consumption of vegetables and maize-based meals. Food taboos, particularly during pregnancy, were revealed. Those cultural beliefs were still followed by some mothers, and food rich in nutrients were pushed aside.
There is a need for educational interventions to raise awareness of the negative impacts of some socio-cultural practices on the health of the mother and child.
尽管世界卫生组织（WHO）和联合国粮食及农业组织（FAO）等机构以及许多其他组织提出了各种倡议，但营养不良仍然是一个主要的公共卫生问题。发展中国家儿童的高死亡率与之有关。为了促进可持续发展目标的实现，需要开展更多的研究。本研究旨在探讨社会文化习俗及其对贝宁大波波省母亲及其子女喂养行为的影响。
采用定性研究方法，采用归纳法。使用经过预测试的讨论指南，用参与者的当地语言进行焦点小组讨论。在位于农村和半城市地区的 4 个村庄进行了 4 次焦点小组讨论，每个焦点小组由 7 至 8 名参与者组成。该研究方案获得了斯坦陵布什大学健康研究伦理委员会的批准。对焦点小组讨论进行了录音、转录和翻译为英语。按照克雷斯韦尔数据分析步骤对数据进行了分析。
所有儿童均接受母乳喂养，6 个月以下的儿童中有 56.1%仅接受母乳喂养。5 个月大时，儿童开始食用家庭食物，但动物蛋白和水果的摄入量非常低。母亲和儿童的饮食单调，蔬菜和以玉米为主的食物摄入量高。揭示了食物禁忌，特别是在怀孕期间的禁忌。这些文化信仰仍然被一些母亲所遵循，而营养丰富的食物则被搁置一旁。
需要开展教育干预，提高人们对一些社会文化习俗对母婴健康的负面影响的认识。
