Habineza Marc, Umugwaneza Maryse, Rugema Lawrence, Humura Fabrice, Munyanshongore Cyprien
Adventist School of Medicine of Central-Africa, Kigali, Rwanda.
School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
J Health Popul Nutr. 2025 Feb 25;44(1):49. doi: 10.1186/s41043-025-00760-2.
Undernutrition is a serious public health concern that, despite numerous efforts to overcome, continues to persist. An integrated nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive intervention was implemented in Rwanda over a period of 5 years to combat undernutrition. Following this intervention, quasi-experimental quantitative studies revealed improvements in mothers' practice regarding Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), resulting in increased achievement of the Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD). The purpose of this study was to provide qualitative data on mothers' perceptions of the determinants of undernutrition to identify whether they understand what the determinants of undernutrition are, and what the possible barriers experienced are. By obtaining this information, the authors plan to use it to improve the integrated nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive intervention and to re implement this improved intervention in future. This qualitative study aimed to explore mothers' perceived understandings of the determinants of undernutrition and identify mothers' perceived barriers in addressing it.
This was a qualitative study carried out in four Districts, namely, Nyarugenge, Gasabo, Nyabihu and Ngororero. Data was obtained through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). Overall six FGDs with ten mothers each and thirty KIIs were considered. Both deductive and inductive approaches were utilized to identify codes, with Atlas ti 7.5.18 as the software.
Two themes were generated from the data namely, mothers' perceived understandings of the determinants of undernutrition and mothers' perceived barriers related to the determinants of undernutrition. (1) Mothers had a good understanding of the determinants of undernutrition. (2) Knowledge was lacking in terms of practices related to IYCF, specifically complementary feeding initiation and practice. (3) Mothers were unsure of the association between hygiene and vaccination with undernutrition. (4) Participants from FGDs were likely less knowledgeable on the determinants of undernutrition. (5) Perceived barriers: poverty, ignorance, negative beliefs, maternal and child health issues, illnesses and inappropriate parental care practices.
Nutrition education programme is needed to address knowledge gaps, and barriers identified should guide the improvement of nutrition interventions.
营养不良是一个严重的公共卫生问题，尽管人们为克服这一问题付出了诸多努力，但它仍然存在。卢旺达在5年时间里实施了一项综合的营养专项和营养敏感型干预措施，以应对营养不良问题。在这项干预措施实施之后，准实验性定量研究表明，母亲在婴幼儿喂养（IYCF）方面的做法有所改善，从而使最低可接受饮食（MAD）的达标率有所提高。本研究的目的是提供关于母亲对营养不良决定因素看法的定性数据，以确定她们是否了解营养不良的决定因素是什么，以及经历了哪些可能的障碍。通过获取这些信息，作者计划利用它来改进综合的营养专项和营养敏感型干预措施，并在未来重新实施这一改进后的干预措施。这项定性研究旨在探讨母亲对营养不良决定因素的认知理解，并确定母亲在应对营养不良方面所感知到的障碍。
这是一项在尼亚鲁根盖、加萨博、尼亚比胡和恩戈罗雷罗四个地区开展的定性研究。数据通过焦点小组讨论（FGD）和关键 informant 访谈（KII）获得。总共进行了6次焦点小组讨论，每次有10位母亲参与，以及30次关键 informant 访谈。采用演绎法和归纳法来识别编码，使用 Atlas ti 7.5.18软件。
从数据中生成了两个主题，即母亲对营养不良决定因素的认知理解以及母亲与营养不良决定因素相关的感知障碍。（1）母亲对营养不良的决定因素有较好的理解。（2）在与婴幼儿喂养相关的做法方面缺乏知识，特别是辅食添加的起始和做法。（3）母亲不确定卫生和疫苗接种与营养不良之间的关联。（4）焦点小组讨论的参与者对营养不良决定因素的了解可能较少。（5）感知到的障碍：贫困、无知、消极观念、母婴健康问题、疾病以及不适当的父母照料做法。
需要开展营养教育项目来填补知识空白，所确定的障碍应指导营养干预措施的改进。
