Socio-Cultural Determinants of Infant Malnutrition in Cameroon

Abstract

This study seeks to explore and explain the socio-cultural factors responsible for the incidence of infant malnutrition in Cameroon with particular emphasis on northern Cameroon where it is most accentuated. It combines quantitative data drawn from the 1991, 1998, 2004 and 2011 Cameroon Demographic and Health Surveys, as well as a literature review of publications by the WHO and UNICEF. This is further complemented with qualitative data from various regions of Cameroon, partly from a national ethnographic study on the ethno-medical causes of infertility in Cameroon conducted between 1999 and 2000. Whereas socio-cultural factors related to child feeding and maternal health (breast-feeding, food taboos and representations of the colostrum as dangerous for infants) are widespread throughout Cameroon, poverty-related factors (lack of education for mothers, natural disaster, unprecedented influx of refugees, inaccessibility and inequity in the distribution of health care services) are pervasive in northern Cameroon. This conjunction of factors accounts for the higher incidence of infant malnutrition and mortality in northern Cameroon. The study suggests the need for women's empowerment and for health care personnel in transcultural situations to understand local cultural beliefs, practices and sentiments before initiating change efforts in infant feeding practices and maternal health. Biomedical services should be tailored to the social and cultural needs of the target population--particularly women--since beliefs and practices underpin therapeutic recourse. Whereas infant diarrhoea might be believed to be the result of sexual contact, in reality, it is caused by unhygienic conditions. Similarly, weaning foods aimed at transmitting ethnic identity might not meet a child's age-specific food needs and might instead give rise to malnutrition.

Ratios and determinants of maternal mortality: a comparison of geographic differences in the northern and southern regions of Cameroon

“…The influence of traditional and cultural factors, especially on maternal health seeking behavior may be especially strong as seen in other studies [36,37]. Even though primary education was decreed free in 2000/ 2001 in Cameroon [38], the high proportion of women with no education (over 60% in the North), may be an indication of the deep rooted nature of traditional and cultural values. Low rates of higher education may explain the higher maternal mortality in the region.…”

“Generally the young mom suffers much:” Socio‐cultural influences of maternal capabilities and nutrition care in Uganda

“…A growing literature provides rich qualitative evidence to inform the development of behavior change communication strategies to promote child health in East and Southern Africa (Flax, 2015;Degefie, Amare, & Mulligan, 2014). These studies emphasize a need to define and understand the dimensions of women's empowerment and the sources of constraint (Permunta & Fubah, 2015), as well as cultural beliefs about the care-related causes of malnutrition in local communities (Flax, 2015).…”

The Fragility of the Liberal Peace Export to South Sudan: Formal Education Access as a Basis of a Liberal Peace Project

“…This calls for the need to prioritize the advancement of human development for women and for all victims affected by violence and insecurity as well as the creation and implementation of a national strategy for human development so as to support peacebuilding and its sustainability, advance the human development process, enhance the needs of children, the elderly and all victims of conflict ([27] p. 6). Research evidence suggest an inverse relationship between levels of female education, and birth rate: an educated woman is more likely to make better use of existing health care services for both preventive and curative health services, "to accept medical advice and to make timely recourse to modern health care facilities, greater identification with the outside world, more social confidence at handling officials and willingness to go out of the home for services" ( [65] p. 20, [66]).…”