Assessment of infant and young child feeding practices among the caregivers with children aged between 0 to 24 months in Njombe region of Tanzania
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Date
2021
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
The University of Dodoma
Abstract
Proper feeding practices during early childhood age including infancy are a foundation for ensuring optimum growth and development of the children. Despite the successful achievement in reduction of childhood diseases, malnutrition in young children has remained a challenge in Tanzania. Thus, this study assessed infants and young children’s feeding practices among caregivers with children aged 0 to 24 months in Njombe regions of Tanzania. Across-sectional study design involving 330households with mothers/caregivers of children aged between 0–24 months was conducted in Njombe Region from January to February 2021. Quantitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews and opportunistic observations among mothers/caregivers using the proPAN tool and analysed using the statistical product for service solution computer software version 20 (SPSS). Inferences were drawn at 95% confidence interval with a significant level of 5%. Three hundred and thirty (330) sampled caregivers who had infants and young children aged between 0 and 24 months were included in the study. This is a response rate of 97.6% of the intended sample. The overall proportion of the appropriate infant and young child feeding practices was 83%. The middle aged (AOR = 1.527; 95%CI (1.377,6.063)), adult aged (AOR=2.731; 95%CI (2.549,7.459)), secondary education (AOR = 2.059, 95%CI (1.478,5.561)), attendance of ANC care services for three times (AOR=3.313; 95%CI(2.074, 6.226)) caregivers who visited ANC care four times (AOR=2.019; 95%CI (1.398, 5.121)) and those caregivers who work at the office (AOR=3.371; 95%CI(1.130, 6.218)) were positively associated with the appropriate infant and young child feeding practices. A majority of caregivers with children aged between 0 to 24months practiced infant and young child feeding practices while very few caregivers practised exclusive breastfeeding, minimum acceptable diet, and consumed iron-rich foods. Therefore, there is a need to establish sensitization programmes and projects among mothers and caregivers to improve infant and young children feeding practices.
Description
Dissertation (MSc Public Health)
Keywords
Young child feeding practices, Infant feeding practices, Proper feeding practices, Malnutrition, Njombe region, Exclusive Breastfeeding, EBF, Dietary adequacy
Citation
Jaffar, S. S. (2021) Assessment of infant and young child feeding practices among the caregivers with children aged between 0 to 24 months in Njombe region of Tanzania (Master dissertation). The University of Dodoma, Dodoma.