Is competence enough to enable Kenyan mothers to make good infant and young child feeding decisions?

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with maternal infant and young child feeding motivation in urban and rural Kenya. We conducted 18 focus group discussions with mothers of children 0 to 23 months of age and healthcare workers. The data were transcribed, translated, and explored following the principles of content analysis. We first explored and coded the data inductively and categorized it according to emerging themes representing the most relevant topics for young child feeding. After this, these themes were theorized into an explanatory framework. Finally, the results yielded seven themes integrated into self-determination theory's three basic motivation-building pillars: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. We found that maternal intrahousehold autonomy on child feeding was substantial. However, this autonomy was lost for a period of time while in close contact with the healthcare staff. The authority of the healthcare workers was at its peak when the child was born and faded gradually as the child grew. Building maternal competence is important for child-feeding outcomes, but our data showed that the health education methods used by the healthcare workers were inadequate to improve maternal to improve the motivation. The competence of Kenyan healthcare workers should be improved in the area of complementary feeding counseling, and they should be trained to provide practical and emotional support as a way of increasing maternal motivation on infant and child feeding.

Edukasi gizi pada ibu oleh kader terlatih meningkatkan asupan energi dan protein pada balita

“…Ibu harus didukung oleh dukungan sosial yang lebih tinggi seperti dari pekerja kesehatan komunitas yang berkompeten untuk memberikan edukasi dan nasihat mengenai praktik makan bayi dan anak. 8 Di Thailand, penurunan prevalensi kurang energi-protein terjadi secara signifikan karena akses terhadap pelayanan kesehatan dan program gizi berbasis komunitas yang efektif. 9 Sejumlah penelitian intervensi terhadap gizi balita telah dilakukan di beberapa daerah di Indonesia.…”

Effect of nutrition education and psychosocial factors on child feeding practices: findings of a field experiment with biofortified foods and different women categories

“…Past studies evaluating women's behavior toward IYCF practices in Kenya have focused on variety of factors, including socioeconomic aspects, with attention to HIV-AIDS status of mothers (Dasgupta et al 2017;Gewa and Leslie 2015;Kimani-Murage et al 2013;Wanjiku et al 2015;Wanjohi et al 2017); community level factors including access to health care facilities and community worker's incentive system (Nguyen et al 2016); parental role in decision-making and care practices (Chintalapudi et al 2017); intrahousehold factors including caregivers' competence (Schneider et al 2017) and the policy environment (Sanghvi et al 2016). Further, Issaka, Agho, and Renzaho (2017), Habtewold, Islam, and Sharew et al (2017), and Ogbo, Page, and Idoko et al (2015) use meta-analysis to examine the effect of multiple factors on IYCF.…”

Mothers’ knowledge and practices on breastfeeding and complementary feeding in an urban slum area and rural area in Kenya: A cross-sectional interview study

“…Over 95% of the mothers in our study knew that babies should get only breastmilk during their first 3 days; however, 10% of the children in Nairobi and 14% in Machakos were given pre-lactal feeds. Focus group discussions revealed that Kenyan mothers had little decision-making power during and after childbirth (Schneider et al, 2017), which may be the case in the current study. Nurses in South Africa were reported to give both pre-lactal feeds and advice that did not support exclusive breastfeeding (Jama et al, 2017).…”