Randhawa Sonali, Choudhury Manisha, Choudhary Devika Gali, Ballala Ramnath, Hegde Shailendra, Barman Priyanka, Dogra Vishal
Health Systems Transformation Platform, New Delhi, India.
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Community Science, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, India.
Front Nutr. 2024 Dec 16;11:1413867. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1413867. eCollection 2024.
The knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of mothers and frontline health workers (FLWs) regarding optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) are essential for mitigating undernutrition and associated morbidities among under-five children. The study assessed the KAP of mothers (of children aged 0-60 months) and FLWs regarding recommended IYCF practices, the association of mother's KAP with their demographic characteristics and children's nutritional outcomes, and the prevalence of stunting, wasting, and underweight among children aged 0-60 months in five high-focus districts of Assam. Data were collected from 389 mothers, 456 children, and 138 FLWs using a standard method. Of the 389 mothers, 29% had good KAP scores, 42% scored average, and 29% had poor KAP scores regarding IYCF practices. The mean KAP score increased significantly with improvements in variables such as community, language, education level, monthly income, and living conditions ( < 0.01). Less than half of the children were stunted (40%), one-third were affected by wasting (28%), and approximately 43% were underweight. Children whose mothers had a KAP score of less than 40% were 2.05 times more likely to experience stunting (CI = 1.04-4.02) than those whose mothers scored above 60%. Similar findings were reported for wasting and underweight. Of the 138 FLWs, 56% had good KAP scores, 30% had average scores, and 14% had poor scores. There was a noticeable gap in the KAP of the mothers regarding IYCF practices compared to that of FLWs. A comprehensive intervention plan to improve feeding practices can enhance the nutritional status of under-five children.
母亲和一线卫生工作者对最佳婴幼儿喂养方式的知识、态度和行为，对于缓解五岁以下儿童的营养不良及相关疾病至关重要。该研究评估了母亲（其子女年龄在0至60个月）和一线卫生工作者对推荐的婴幼儿喂养方式的知识、态度和行为，母亲的知识、态度和行为与其人口统计学特征及子女营养状况的关联，以及阿萨姆邦五个重点地区0至60个月儿童的发育迟缓、消瘦和体重不足患病率。使用标准方法从389名母亲、456名儿童和138名一线卫生工作者中收集数据。在389名母亲中，29%的母亲在婴幼儿喂养方式方面知识、态度和行为得分良好，42%得分中等，29%得分较差。随着社区、语言、教育水平、月收入和生活条件等变量的改善，知识、态度和行为的平均得分显著提高（<0.01）。不到一半的儿童发育迟缓（40%），三分之一的儿童消瘦（28%），约43%的儿童体重不足。母亲知识、态度和行为得分低于40%的儿童发育迟缓的可能性是母亲得分高于60%的儿童的2.05倍（置信区间=1.04-4.02）。消瘦和体重不足情况也有类似发现。在138名一线卫生工作者中，56%的人知识、态度和行为得分良好，30%得分中等，14%得分较差。与一线卫生工作者相比，母亲在婴幼儿喂养方式方面的知识、态度和行为存在明显差距。一项改善喂养方式的综合干预计划可以提高五岁以下儿童的营养状况。
