Exploring infant and young child‐feeding practices among mothers of well‐nourished children in northern Ghana: An INPreP substudy

This study investigated infant and young child‐feeding (IYCF) practices among mothers of well‐nourished children in northern Ghana. This was a qualitative study where in‐depth individual interviews were conducted with participants. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and QSR Nvivo softw...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Food science & nutrition 2024-02, Vol.12 (2), p.869-880
Main Authors: Dambayi, Edith, Nakua, Emmanuel, Aborigo, Raymond A., Chatio, Samuel T., Dalaba, Maxwell A., Sekwo, Enos, Adoctor, James K., Ofosu, Winfred, Oduro, Abraham R., Nonterah, Engelbert A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Breast feeding
Breastfeeding & lactation
Caregivers
Children
Children & youth
Childrens health
Cognitive development
community practices
first 1000 days, Ghana
infant and young child feeding (IYCF)
Infants
Malnutrition
Nutrition
Nutritional status
Original
Qualitative research
Research methodology
Social interactions
Support systems
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Summary:This study investigated infant and young child‐feeding (IYCF) practices among mothers of well‐nourished children in northern Ghana. This was a qualitative study where in‐depth individual interviews were conducted with participants. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and QSR Nvivo software version 11 was used to organize the data before thematic analysis. It was observed that mothers of well‐nourished children were likely to adhere to breastfeeding guidelines and also practice appropriate complementary feeding. Furthermore, these mothers mostly had some form of support from their husbands and mother‐in‐laws in feeding their infants. While adoption and adherence to appropriate IYCF practices contribute to improved nutrition outcomes in children, social support systems are needed to sustain the practice. Child undernutrition affects growth, impairs cognition and leads to poor educational performance with low economic productivity in adulthood. Appropriate Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices such as 6 months exclusive breastfeeding, followed by adequate and safe complementary feeding up to 2 years is essential in preventing child undernutrition.
ISSN:2048-7177
2048-7177
DOI:10.1002/fsn3.3800