University of Applied Sciences Münster, Centre of Competence for Humanitarian Relief, 48149 Münster, Germany.
School of Public Health and Biomedical Science and Technology, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kakamega P.O. Box 190-50100, Kenya.
Nutrients. 2022 Nov 4;14(21):4677. doi: 10.3390/nu14214677.
Responsive infant and young child feeding as a reciprocal relationship between the child and his or her caregiver is recommended by the WHO but has received less attention than dietary diversity or meal frequency up to now. The current study assessed common (non)responsive child feeding practices and factors that facilitate or hinder caregivers to improve feeding practices in rural Teso South Sub-County, Western Kenya. The qualitative study used focus group discussion ( = 93) and Trials of Improved Practices (TIPs) ( = 48) to identify challenges and opportunities in household food distribution and feeding practices. Overall, the implementation of responsive feeding practices was feasible for the caregivers. Parents reported mainly positive experiences in terms of the child's feeding behavior and effects on child health. Traditional beliefs, practices, and cultural norms hindered some households to change intrahousehold food distribution. Households who manage to implement responsive feeding even in food insecure regions should be consulted to (a) improve existing nutrition education messages that acknowledge these cultural norms, (b) to include more responsive feeding information in nutrition education material, and (c) to address gender norms to create awareness of the importance of responsive feeding practices and the need for adequate time allocation for infant and young child feeding.
世卫组织建议采用响应式婴幼儿喂养，这是儿童及其照顾者之间的一种相互关系，但迄今为止，这种喂养方式的关注度低于饮食多样性或用餐频率。本研究评估了在肯尼亚西部特索南郡农村地区常见的（非）响应式婴幼儿喂养做法，以及促进或阻碍照顾者改善喂养做法的因素。这项定性研究使用焦点小组讨论（n = 93）和改进实践试验（TIPs）（n = 48）来确定家庭食物分配和喂养做法中的挑战和机遇。总的来说，响应式喂养做法对照顾者来说是可行的。父母主要报告了孩子喂养行为和对孩子健康影响方面的积极经验。传统观念、做法和文化规范阻碍了一些家庭改变家庭内部的食物分配。即使在粮食不安全地区，也应该咨询那些设法实施响应式喂养的家庭，以（a）改进现有的营养教育信息，承认这些文化规范，（b）在营养教育材料中纳入更多的响应式喂养信息，以及（c）解决性别规范问题，提高对响应式喂养做法的重要性和为婴幼儿喂养分配足够时间的认识。
