Determinants of weaning practices among mothers of infants aged below 12 Months in Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Background Poor weaning practices have been reported to contribute to high infant mortality and morbidity rates especially in developing countries. Objectives This study sought to determine factors related to weaning that predispose, reinforce and enable mothers of infants younger than age...

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Main Authors: Gonah, Laston, Mutambara, Julia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Ubiquity Press 2021
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Online Access:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28283142/
http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4494
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author Gonah, Laston
Mutambara, Julia
author_facet Gonah, Laston
Mutambara, Julia
author_sort Gonah, Laston
collection DSpace
description Background Poor weaning practices have been reported to contribute to high infant mortality and morbidity rates especially in developing countries. Objectives This study sought to determine factors related to weaning that predispose, reinforce and enable mothers of infants younger than age 12 months to comply or not to comply with the World Health Organization (WHO) 2009 guidelines on appropriate infant feeding. Methods The present study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on weaning and infant feeding practices from a sample of 300 mothers of infants aged younger than 12 months, resident in the Rujeko community, and registered and seen at the Rujeko Council Clinic during the study time. Findings The study results indicated that noncompliance with WHO infant feeding guidelines was high among the study participants. The rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months was very low (14.8%), with the mean age of introduction of complementary foods to infants of 5 weeks (range 1-24 weeks). Early supplementation of breast milk was not associated with mother’s age, level of education, and religion. Scheduled breastfeeding was more prevalent among the mothers who worked outside the home (P = .018). Provision of formal advice and influence from health care workers was found to improve young child feeding and weaning practices among mothers (P = .011). Conclusions Various weaning methods were used, and mothers identified numerous factors as impeding their efforts to follow proper breastfeeding practices. The findings highlight the need to develop personal skills among mothers to prepare nutritionally balanced diets.
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spelling ir-11408-44942022-06-27T13:49:06Z Determinants of weaning practices among mothers of infants aged below 12 Months in Masvingo, Zimbabwe Gonah, Laston Mutambara, Julia Exclusive breastfeeding Weaning Predisposing Infants Zimbabwe Background Poor weaning practices have been reported to contribute to high infant mortality and morbidity rates especially in developing countries. Objectives This study sought to determine factors related to weaning that predispose, reinforce and enable mothers of infants younger than age 12 months to comply or not to comply with the World Health Organization (WHO) 2009 guidelines on appropriate infant feeding. Methods The present study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on weaning and infant feeding practices from a sample of 300 mothers of infants aged younger than 12 months, resident in the Rujeko community, and registered and seen at the Rujeko Council Clinic during the study time. Findings The study results indicated that noncompliance with WHO infant feeding guidelines was high among the study participants. The rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months was very low (14.8%), with the mean age of introduction of complementary foods to infants of 5 weeks (range 1-24 weeks). Early supplementation of breast milk was not associated with mother’s age, level of education, and religion. Scheduled breastfeeding was more prevalent among the mothers who worked outside the home (P = .018). Provision of formal advice and influence from health care workers was found to improve young child feeding and weaning practices among mothers (P = .011). Conclusions Various weaning methods were used, and mothers identified numerous factors as impeding their efforts to follow proper breastfeeding practices. The findings highlight the need to develop personal skills among mothers to prepare nutritionally balanced diets. 2021-11-10T12:01:08Z 2021-11-10T12:01:08Z 2016 Article 2214-9996 10.1016/j.aogh.2016.10.006. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28283142/ http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4494 en Annals of Global Health;Vol. 82, No. 5: 875-884 open Ubiquity Press
spellingShingle Exclusive breastfeeding
Weaning
Predisposing
Infants
Zimbabwe
Gonah, Laston
Mutambara, Julia
Determinants of weaning practices among mothers of infants aged below 12 Months in Masvingo, Zimbabwe
title Determinants of weaning practices among mothers of infants aged below 12 Months in Masvingo, Zimbabwe
title_full Determinants of weaning practices among mothers of infants aged below 12 Months in Masvingo, Zimbabwe
title_fullStr Determinants of weaning practices among mothers of infants aged below 12 Months in Masvingo, Zimbabwe
title_full_unstemmed Determinants of weaning practices among mothers of infants aged below 12 Months in Masvingo, Zimbabwe
title_short Determinants of weaning practices among mothers of infants aged below 12 Months in Masvingo, Zimbabwe
title_sort determinants of weaning practices among mothers of infants aged below 12 months in masvingo, zimbabwe
topic Exclusive breastfeeding
Weaning
Predisposing
Infants
Zimbabwe
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28283142/
http://hdl.handle.net/11408/4494
work_keys_str_mv AT gonahlaston determinantsofweaningpracticesamongmothersofinfantsagedbelow12monthsinmasvingozimbabwe
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