RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SELECTED MALNUTRITION PROBLEMS AND CHILD FEEDING PRACTICES: IMPLICATION FOR NUTRITIONAL EDUCATION

Abstract

A retrospective study was designed to examine the relationship between child feeding practices among mothers and occurrence of severe protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) in children. The background information on socio-economic status, literacy, housing, sanitation, marital status and employment, which could have influence on the above relationship, were also considered. A total of two hundred and fifty (250) mothers were interviewed, using a pretested structured interview schedule. The group consisted of mothers of 77 kwashiokor, 73 marasmic and 100 healthy children, who were matched for sex and age, all being between 0 and 3 years. The mothers of the malnourished groups were those who reported at the General Out-Patients' Department (G.O.P) of the University College Hospital (U.C.H) between November, December 1978 and January 1979, without selection. Kwashiorkor, marasmia and control were defined according to the Velicina Classification. The results showed that females suffer more from malnutrition than males and the kwashiokor children were older than the marasmia ones. The birth order of the child, marital status and age of the mother did not appear to contribute to the causation of severe protein-energy malnutrition. The education and occupation of the mother and father were found to have a significant influence on predisposing a child to the disease. The type of housing, quality of sanitation, furniture and appearance of the mother, were all found to be significantly better in the control group. Feeding practices were also significantly different between the control and malnourished groups, in terms of breastfeeding, frequency of breastfeeding, difficulty in breastfeedng and age of complete weaning. The methods of supplementary feeding and sterillisation of bottles were found to be superior among the mothers of the control group. The qualitative and quantitative intakes of food after weaning, during the week, before the illness and on the day previous to the interview, were also found to be far better in the control group, as compared to the malnourished ones. The central mothers were also found to be superior in their knowledge with respect to diets during pregnancy, location, weaning and sickness of the child. Most importantly, the mothers of the malnourished groups were not even more aware that severe PEM was a disease of dietary origin. On the basis of these findings, the implications for nutrition education were discussed and recommendations made.