Overview of field-testing of the revised, draft South African Paediatric Food-Based Dietary Guidelines amongst mothers/caregivers of children aged 0–5 years in the Western Cape and Mpumalanga, South Africa

Abstract

Background: This paper provides an overview of a series of studies undertaken to assess the appropriateness and understanding of the revised, draft South African Paediatric Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (SA-PFBDGs) amongst mothers/ caregivers of children aged 0-5 years. Previous exposure to guidelines with similar messages, barriers and enablers to following the guidelines were also assessed. Design: Qualitative methods were used to collect data from 38 focus-group discussions (isiXhosa = 11, Afrikaans = 11, English = 10 and siSwati = 6) resulting in 268 participants. Setting: Breede Valley sub-district (Worcester), Stellenbosch Municipality (Stellenbosch, Pniel and Franschhoek) and Northern Metropole (Atlantis, Witsand, Du Noon and Blouberg), City of Cape Town, Western Cape province, as well as Ehlanzeni District (Kabokweni) in Mpumalanga province. Subjects: Mothers/caregivers older than 18 years who provided informed consent to participate. Results: The majority of participants had previous exposure to guidelines with similar messages to the SA-PFBDGs. Information sources included nurses, local clinics, family, friends and media. Possible barriers to following the guidelines included limited physical and financial access to resources; cultural/family practices, poor social support and time constraints. Outdated information, misconceptions, inconsistent messages and contrasting beliefs were evident. The vocabulary of some messages was not well understood. Education on infant and young child feeding and visual portrayal of the guidelines could aid understanding. Conclusion:A degree of rewording should be considered for improved understanding of the revised, draft SA-PFBDGs. Once adopted, the guidelines can be used to educate various stakeholders, including parents, caregivers, healthcare providers and educators, on the correct nutritional advice for children aged 0-5 years ensuring the healthy growth and development of young children in South Africa.

Field testing of the revised, draft South African Paediatric Food-Based Dietary Guidelines among mothers/caregivers of children aged 12–36 months in the Stellenbosch Municipality in the Western Cape province, South Africa

“…An outline of the methodology for the larger study is reported in the overview paper. 7 Study design, setting and population A descriptive, cross-sectional, qualitative study was conducted. Focus-group discussions (FGDs) were the method of data collection.…”

“…This study formed part of a larger study that aimed to field-test the revised, draft SA-PFBDGs amongst mothers/caregivers of children aged 0-5 years in the Western Cape and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa. 7 The aim of this study was to determine the appropriateness and understanding of the revised, draft SA-PFBDGs and to gain insight into previous exposure to guidelines with similar messages, plus the perceived barriers to and enablers of the following thereof among mothers/caregivers of children aged 12-36 months, in the Stellenbosch municipal area, Western Cape province.…”

Field-testing of the revised, draft South African Paediatric Food-Based Dietary Guidelines among Siswati-speaking mothers/caregivers of children aged 0–36 months in Kabokweni, Mpumalanga province, South Africa

“…This study formed part of a larger study that aimed to field-test the revised, draft SA-PFBDG amongst mothers/caregivers of children aged 0-5 years in the Western Cape and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa. 6 The aim of this study was to assess the appropriateness and understanding of the revised, draft SA-PFBDGs amongst among siSwati-speaking mothers/caregivers of children aged 0-36 months living in Kabokweni, Mpumalanga, South Africa. Previous exposure to guidelines with similar messages, barriers and enablers to following the guidelines were also assessed.…”

Successes and Challenges in Sustainable Development Goals Localisation for Host Communities around Kruger National Park

“…In addition, KNP often culls animals and provides meat to neighbouring communities, particularly schools, and to school feeding projects. This is aimed at ensuring that students have a balanced diet, that promotes the healthy growth of children and addresses the problem of stunting, which is one of the biggest challenges faced by children in South Africa and in particular the Mpumalanga province, which is one of the provinces that hosts the Kruger National Park [51][52][53]. Child stunting is particularly problematic, as it affects the children's development, health and economic development [54,55].…”