PERCEPTION AND PRACTICE OF MOTHERS ON CHILD NUTRITION IN JIMMA TOWN, SOUTHWEST ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: To reduce child morbidity and mortality due to malnutrition associated with communicable diseases, setting strategies in nutrition education programs that demonstrate the importance of child nutrition is crucial. This study was conducted to assess mothers' or child caretakers' perception and practice on child nutrition

Methods: The study employed cross sectional design on a systematic random sample of 217 mothers or child caretakers who had at least one under five child found in Keftegna (higher) 2 Kebele 04 Jimma town, Southwest Ethiopia from March to April 1999. Data collectors were nurses who received training about the data collection methods. The data were entered into computer and analyzed using SPSS for Windows

Results: The data on nutrition indicated that only 39(18.0%) mothers had good knowledge, 48(22.1%) had good nutritional practice. Also only 97(44.7%) mothers started additional feeding to their children between the age of 4 to 6 months but 67 (31%) believe that additional feeding is not necessary during the first four months of life. With respect to signs of malnutrition only 7(3.2%) had good knowledge in identifying signs of malnutrition and the majority of the mothers 156(72%) had low knowledge on identification of the signs of malnutrition. Mothers' level of nutritional knowledge was significantly associated with their age (p=0.030).

Conclusion: From this study we can conclude that mothers were found to have poor knowledge and practice on child nutrition. In addition most mothers introduced supplementary feeds earlier or later than the recommended age of between to 6 months. Concerning identification of the signs of malnutrition, the majority of the signs were not known by respondents except weakness and thinness which were known by some mothers. Therefore there is need for concerted effort in changing the perception and practice of mothers on child nutrition to reduce the rate of malnutrition in children.