Infant Weaning Knowledge and Practices among Mothers in Ikenne Local Government Area, Ogun State
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To identify the relation between the mother’s age and the weaning knowledge.
- To detect the mean age of children when the weaning started.
- To define the correlation between educational level of mothers and the weaning knowledge.
- To identify the average times of children feeding per day.
- To explore the relation between type of infants’ family and weaning knowledge and practice of mothers.
- To detect the type of food given to the child during weaning period.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
introduction
Review of literature is a key step in research process. The review of literature in a research report is summery of current knowledge about particular practice, problem and includes what is known and what is unknown about a problem . This contributed to gaining insight regarding the selected problem under study.A study was conducted to determine the maternal knowledge and practice associated with weaning of the infants in India. A total of 123 mothers were interviewed attending health clinics of S.K.Institute of medical sciences. 28 children were considered to be well nourished while the remaining 95 children were determined to be in various degrees of malnutrition. Only 3 mothers had an excellent score for infant weaning awareness. This study concludes that a decreasing trend between awareness and practice of infant weaning; suggesting that further improvement of health education is needed to reduce the lag between infant weaning awareness and practice. A study was conducted to determine the feeding practices through semi structured interviews with mothers of 1 year old infants. Results showed that infants weaned early were heavier at 7 and 14 months, and gained more weight between 8 weeks and 14 months, even after breastfeeding was controlled. This concludes that early weaning is related to rapid weight gain in infancy. A study was conducted on knowledge regarding weaning among 80 mother substitutes, aged 7-70 in Jabalpur town, India in 1984. Results pointed that 45% advocated bottle feeding, with 25% preferring spoon feeding. The majority of young and uneducated substitutes thought proper weaning age to be after 6 months. 905 of the young mother substitutes were against solids being introduced by the age of 4 months. A majority of the substitutes suggested weaning foods such as dal, rice, roti, and biscuits with a few considering tinned cereals as proper weaning foods. This concludes why protein and energy deficiency may be observed around weaning age in many infants throughout the third world.
A study was designed to determine whether provision of a micronutrient- fortified food supplement supported by counseling or nutritional counseling alone would significantly improve physical growth between 6 to 12 months of age. 418 infants were individually randomized. Results showed that the food supplementation infants 250g more weight than did than the visitation group. This concludes that the nutritional counseling group had higher energy intakes ranging from 280 to 752 KJ at different ages but no significant benefit on weight and length increments. An observational study was conducted to investigate the relationship status between iron status of 928 infants and type of weaning foods consumed. According to WHO criteria, 22.7% of the infants were anemic at 8 months and 18.1% at 12 months. More breast-than formula- fed infants wee anemic at 8 and 12 months. Cow’ milk as the main drink was associated with increased anemia at 12 months and low ferritin at 8 and 12 months. A study was conducted on the weaning practices in infants aged 4-9 months of Idoma women in Makurdi. A pre-tested standard questionnaire was used to collect data from mothers who regularly visited the health clinics. 67% of the mothers had no more than primary education, while about 90% of the mothers planned to cease breast feeding at 12 months. The results showed that better educated mother’s breast fed for a shorter time or planned to cease breast feeding after a short period than mothers who had little education/ no formal training. A cross sectional study on mother’s knowledge and practice related to weaning was conducted in Butajira in 1994. A total of 1,543 mothers –child pair were included in the study. The most important reasons for mothers to start weaning were reduction of amount of breast milk and mothers belief that the child is at the right age to start weaning food. The study demonstrated the presence of inappropriate weaning practice in the area which needs appropriate intervention. A study was conducted to examine weaning practices during the first year of life in a sample of Swedish children. Data were derived from 467 infants visiting child health centers in Sweden. The results showed that 18% were still breast fed at the age of 12 months, 6% received solid foods before the age of 4 months, and 12% received foods after the age of 6 months. This study concludes that the creation of routines for the distribution of information concerning weaning foods should be encouraged in order to reach families with special needs. A study was conducted on factors affecting duration of breast feeding and weaning practices among 790 mothers of children less than 24 months of age in minas Gerais state, Brazil. Results conclude that conditions significantly associated with risk of weaning were: primi parity; difficulty in post partum breast feeding; belief in ideal breast feeding duration of less than six months
A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of weaning, and the factors related to early weaning in young infants of rural communities of Mexico.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine infant weaning knowledge and practices among mothers. Selected mothers in Ikenne local government of Osun state form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain infant weaning knowledge and practices among mothers. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of challenges of infant weaning knowledge and practices among mothers
Summary
This study was on infant weaning knowledge and practices among mothers. Six objectives were raised which included: To identify the relation between the mother’s age and the weaning knowledge, to detect the mean age of children when the weaning started, to define the correlation between educational level of mothers and the weaning knowledge, to identify the average times of children feeding per day, to explore the relation between type of infants’ family and weaning knowledge and practice of mothers and to detect the type of food given to the child during weaning period. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected mothers in Ikenne local government. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
We found knowledge levels about weaning were poor among mothers in Ikenne LGA. Women were likely following local customs in terms of their choice of weaning methods even among the well-educated. We found clear association between seeking doctors’ advice and better knowledge, which needs to be capitalized on in design and delivery of future educational interventions. Underfeeding babies of below times daily was correlated substantially with poorer knowledge score. This could be viewed as reverse causality, as clearly more knowledgeable mothers are expected to stick to optimum feeding frequency.
Recommendation
Communication channels between physicians and mothers need to be opened and widened through focused educational programmes.
Poor knowledge is clearly associated with infant underfeeding having difficulties in recognizing weaning symptoms. Such points need to be emphasized in design of health education packages to nursing mothers.
Research on knowledge about weaning should focus on its association with traditional weaning methods and bottle feeding.
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