Promoting weaning practices and growth of Egyptian infants by using communication for behavioral development approach.

Autor: Metwally AM; Community Medicine Research Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt. am.metwally@nrc.sci.eg., Sallam SF; Child Health Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Mawla MAA; Pediatrics Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Alian KM; Biological Anthropology Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Abdel-Latif GA; Community Medicine Research Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Hasanin HM; Pediatrics Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Kamal AN; Biological Anthropology Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Hanna C; Community Medicine Research Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Shebini SME; Nutrition and Food Science Department, Food Technology and Nutrition Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Ahmed NH; Nutrition and Food Science Department, Food Technology and Nutrition Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Mabrok HB; Nutrition and Food Science Department, Food Technology and Nutrition Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Mahmoud MH; Nutrition and Food Science Department, Food Technology and Nutrition Research Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Ismail AS; Biological Anthropology Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Boseila SAW; Child Health Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., El-Alameey IR; Child Health Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt.; Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Clinical Nutrition Department, Taibahu University, Almadina almunawara, Saudi Arabia., Mahfouz NN; Child Health Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Shaaban FA; Child Health Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Ibrahim NA; Community Medicine Research Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Hassan NE; Biological Anthropology Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., El-Masry SA; Biological Anthropology Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Naga MM; Community Medicine Research Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt., Khalil A; Biological Anthropology Department, Medical Research and Clinical Studies Institute, National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, 60014618, Egypt.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: BMC pediatrics [BMC Pediatr] 2022 Dec 01; Vol. 22 (1), pp. 689. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Dec 01.
DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03741-0
Abstrakt: Background: Access to various affordable and nutritious foods is considered a challenging factor for households with limited resources affecting the proper weaning practices. In order to motivate communities to adhere to the right and proper weaning practices, the social aspect should be considered through close communication with the targeted communities. This study aimed to evaluate how impactful the use of the principles of Communication for Development (C4D) that respect parents' beliefs and their cultural norms is in improving the weaning practices and growth of infants in an Egyptian village.
Methods: An interventional three-phase study was conducted for three years. The intervention targeted 464 mothers of infants up to 2 years of age. C4D interventions encouraged each mother to provide her baby with nutritious and varied options through age-appropriate introduction and diversification of nutrient-rich complementary foods under the slogan " enjoy meals like a baby". The effectiveness of the approach was measured by five essential weaning practices: Introduction of solid, semi-solid, or soft foods, Minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency, Minimum acceptable diet, and consumption of iron-rich foods.
Results: There was marked and significant improvement in the awareness and of the majority of the weaning practices' indicators as a result of the interventions. This was noticed for the timely introduction of complementary foods which increased from 36.7% to 82.0%, the minimum meal frequency indicator (3-5) which increased from 25.3% to 67.3%, iron-rich or fortified food (68.0% to 82%) as well as a regular checkup for baby health at the health unit (71.3%). Indicators that were improved but failed to achieve the target were the "Minimum Dietary Diversity" (reached 32%) and the minimum acceptable diet (reached 22.0%). A significant effect on linear growth especially for females is evidenced by the remarkable decrease in wasting (from 31.5% to 11.1%) and obesity (from 12.0% to 0%) associated with a considerable decrease in underweight (from 40% to 16.7%).
Conclusion: Targeting caregivers through the C4D approach have succeeded in providing them with the support required for the provision of adequate nutrition for their infants that had significantly marked improvement in growth indices of their infants.
(© 2022. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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