TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of Nutrition Education on Knowledge, Complementary Feeding, and Hygiene Practices of Mothers With Moderate Acutely Malnourished Children in Uganda
AU - Kajjura, Richard B.
AU - Veldman, Frederick Johannes
AU - Kassier, Susanna M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Ethical approval to conduct this study was obtained from the Biomedical Research Ethics Committee (BE218/18) of the University of KwaZulu-Natal South Africa, the Higher Degrees, Research and Ethics Committee (REC/ 11353/394) of the School of Public Health, Makerere University Uganda, and the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (SS4705). Informed consent forms were signed by participants who were literate, while illiterate participants made a thumbprint on the informed consent form prior to participation in the study. All participants were guaranteed confidentiality and anonymity as they were assigned a coded number for identification purposes.
Funding Information:
Richard Kajjura designed the study, performed data collection and management, conducted the statistical analysis, interpreted the results, and drafted the manuscript. Susanna Kassier and Frederick Veldman revised the study design, assisted with the interpretation of results, and revised the draft manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors other than the PhD Fellowship, from PowerFour International, Inc, USA.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2019.
Copyright:
Copyright 2019 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/6/1
Y1 - 2019/6/1
N2 - © The Author(s) 2019. Background: Inappropriate infant and young child complementary feeding practices related to a lack of maternal knowledge contributes to an increased risk of malnutrition, morbidity, and mortality. There is a lack of data regarding the effect of nutrition education on maternal knowledge, feeding, and hygiene practices as part of a supplementary feeding intervention targeting infants and young children with moderate acute malnutrition in low-income countries like Uganda. Objective: To determine whether nutrition education improves knowledge, feeding, and hygiene practices of mothers with infants and young children diagnosed with moderate acute malnutrition. Methods: A cross-sequential study using a pretest–posttest design included 204 mother–infant pairs conveniently sampled across 24 randomly selected clusters. Weekly nutrition education sessions were embedded in a supplementary porridge intervention for 3 months. Mean scores and proportions for knowledge, feeding, and hygiene practices were determined at baseline and end line. The difference between mean scores at the 2 time points were calculated with the paired t test analysis, while the proportions between baseline and end line were calculated using a z test analysis. Results: Mean scores for knowledge, dietary diversity, and meal frequency were higher at end line compared to baseline (P <.001). Handwashing did not improve significantly (P =.183), while boiling water to enhance water quality improved (P <.001). Conclusion: Nutrition education in conjunction with a supplementary feeding intervention targeting infants and young children with moderate acute malnutrition improved meal frequency, dietary diversity and water quality.
AB - © The Author(s) 2019. Background: Inappropriate infant and young child complementary feeding practices related to a lack of maternal knowledge contributes to an increased risk of malnutrition, morbidity, and mortality. There is a lack of data regarding the effect of nutrition education on maternal knowledge, feeding, and hygiene practices as part of a supplementary feeding intervention targeting infants and young children with moderate acute malnutrition in low-income countries like Uganda. Objective: To determine whether nutrition education improves knowledge, feeding, and hygiene practices of mothers with infants and young children diagnosed with moderate acute malnutrition. Methods: A cross-sequential study using a pretest–posttest design included 204 mother–infant pairs conveniently sampled across 24 randomly selected clusters. Weekly nutrition education sessions were embedded in a supplementary porridge intervention for 3 months. Mean scores and proportions for knowledge, feeding, and hygiene practices were determined at baseline and end line. The difference between mean scores at the 2 time points were calculated with the paired t test analysis, while the proportions between baseline and end line were calculated using a z test analysis. Results: Mean scores for knowledge, dietary diversity, and meal frequency were higher at end line compared to baseline (P <.001). Handwashing did not improve significantly (P =.183), while boiling water to enhance water quality improved (P <.001). Conclusion: Nutrition education in conjunction with a supplementary feeding intervention targeting infants and young children with moderate acute malnutrition improved meal frequency, dietary diversity and water quality.
KW - complementary feeding practices
KW - dietary diversity
KW - hygiene practices
KW - knowledge
KW - meal frequency
KW - moderate acute malnutrition
KW - nutrition education
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85067784102&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0379572119840214
DO - 10.1177/0379572119840214
M3 - Article
C2 - 31067997
SN - 0379-5721
VL - 40
SP - 221
EP - 230
JO - Food and Nutrition Bulletin
JF - Food and Nutrition Bulletin
IS - 2
ER -
