Infant and Young Child Feeding Policy: do primary health care nurses adhere to the HIV breastfeeding recommendations in Limpopo province?

The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of primary health care nurses working in the clinics and health centres involved in the provision of free health care services. The research design followed was exploratory, descriptive and qualitative. The population of the study included all primary health care nurses working at the clinics and health centres in the Vhembe (northern) region of the Limpopo Province. The sampling method used was purposive for the samples of both the clinics and the nurses. The inclusion criteria for the nurses included experience of two or more years in providing primary health care. The inclusion criteria for the selection of clinics included being a busy clinic (a minimum of 2000 patients per month) with a staff establishment of four or more primary health care nurses. In conducting this research, ethical principles were taken into account. Data was collected from 23 participants in the Northern Region. The research question read as follows: What are your experiences regarding the provision of free health care services? An open coding method consisting of eight steps provided by Tesch's (1990:140-145) eight-step method of analysing data was used. The research findings revealed that the primary health care nurses working in the clinics experience feelings of failure to provide adequate primary health care services due to the increased workload, misuse of the service, and fear associated with lack of security in the clinics and health centres. The conclusions drawn from this research are that on the one hand a poor mechanism exists for the monitoring of the implementation of free health services, and on another hand, there has been misuse of the facilities by the community. The concept “free health care service” has been misinterpreted.

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Counselling skills of Accredited Social Health Activists for promotion of optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding practices

Indian Journal of Community Health ◽

10.47203/ijch.2020.v32i01.028 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 137-144

Author(s):

Sahiba Kohli ◽

Ravinder Chadha

Keyword(s):

Young Child ◽

Social Health ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Adequate Knowledge ◽

Primary Health ◽

Child Feeding Practices ◽

Infant And Young Child ◽

Primary Health Centres ◽

Simple Language

Background: Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) play an important role in communicating messages related to infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices. Adequate knowledge and counselling skills are crucial for effective behavior change among mothers. Objective: To assess counselling skills of ASHAs for promotion of optimal IYCF practices among mothers of young children. Material & Methods: ASHAs (n=190) were selected randomly from 21 primary health centres in Delhi. Their knowledge and counselling skills for promotion of optimal IYCF practices were assessed using a questionnaire and simulated counselling sessions based on WHO IYCF counselling course (2006) and IYCF guidelines by WHO (2009), GOI (2006) and IAP (2016). Results: Mean scores of ASHAs on optimal IYCF knowledge and counselling skills were 65.2±11.8% (n=190) and 41.8±9.4% (n=182) respectively. Less than half (45%) of the appropriate key messages were correctly communicated by ASHAs during the simulated counselling sessions. Majority of ASHAs (>75%) used helpful non-verbal communication, simple language and tried solving problems while counselling. Inability to empathise with caregivers, praising good practices and assessing their understanding were the communication skills which most ASHAs (>95%) lacked. Conclusion: There is need to focus on improving their counselling skills for effective promotion of optimal IYCF practices.

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Experiences of primary health care nurses in implementing integrated management of childhood illnesses strategy at selected clinics of Limpopo Province

Curationis ◽

10.4102/curationis.v32i3.1224 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

E. N. Vhuromu ◽

M. Davhana-Maselesele

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Primary Health Care ◽

Integrated Management ◽

Limpopo Province ◽

World Health ◽

Childhood Illnesses ◽

Primary Health ◽

Contextual Design ◽

National Priority ◽

Primary Health Care Nurses

Treatment of the under five years is a national priority as an attempt in curbing deaths and deformities affecting children. Primary health care was implemented in the clinics in order to help in the treatment of illnesses affecting the community, including children. As a result of childhood illnesses; the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nation Children's Fund (UNICEF) came up with Integrated Management of Childhood illnesses (IMCI) strategy to enhance treatment of such illnesses in developing countries. Primary health care nurses (PHCNS) in Limpopo province were also trained to implement the strategy. This study is intended to explore and describe the experiences of PHCNS in implementing the IMCI strategy at selected clinics in Vhembe District in the Limpopo Province. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design was used. In-depth interviews were conducted with PHCNS who are IMCI trained and have implemented the strategy for a period of not less than two years. Data analysis was done through using Tesch’s method of open coding for qualitative analysis. Findings revealed that PHCNS had difficulty in rendering IMCI services due to lack of resources and poor working conditions. Recommendations address the difficulties experienced by PHCNS when implementing the IMCI strategy.

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Development and Testing of Responsive Feeding Counseling Cards to Strengthen the UNICEF Infant and Young Child Feeding Counseling Package

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa117 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (9) ◽

Author(s):

Amber J Hromi-Fiedler ◽

Grace J Carroll ◽

Madelynn R Tice ◽

Adam Sandow ◽

Richmond Aryeetey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Young Child ◽

Health Care Providers ◽

Care Providers ◽

Systematic Observation ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Group Education ◽

Cultural Appropriateness ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Infant And Young Child

Abstract Background The UNICEF Community-based Infant and Young Child Feeding Counseling Package (C-IYCFCP) currently has limited responsive feeding (RF) content, thus limiting dissemination of RF messages within infant and young child feeding (IYCF) counseling. Objectives This project 1) developed counseling cards based on existing evidence-based RF guidelines and 2) tested their feasibility in Ghana. Methods Five RF counseling cards were developed focusing on eating with family; introducing new foods; hunger/satiety cues; food texture; and calming a child. Four focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with adult mothers and fathers of children younger than 3 y of age to assess the cultural appropriateness of the cards and accompanying key messages. The feasibility of including cards as part of IYCF counseling was tested via 1) systematic observation of 8 group education sessions utilizing the cards with the same target audience and 2) in-depth interviews with health care providers involved in IYCF training and/or counseling. Results FGD findings guided changes to all cards to ensure comprehension and cultural appropriateness. The group education sessions suggested that the counseling cards provided important RF messages that are specific, clear, and feasible to implement. Health care providers strongly endorsed the need for and utility of the RF counseling cards and felt they were feasible and important to integrate into the C-IYCFCP currently being used to deliver IYCF training and counseling in Ghana. Conclusions The counseling cards have a strong potential to add key RF dimensions to IYCF training and counseling in Ghana.

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Off to the best start: The importance of infant and young child feeding

10.2499/9780896295889_03 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Keyword(s):

Young Child ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Infant And Young Child

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Qualitative, longitudinal exploration of coping strategies and factors facilitating infant and young child feeding practices among mothers in rural Rwanda

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-10095-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jeanine Ahishakiye ◽

Lenneke Vaandrager ◽

Inge D. Brouwer ◽

Maria Koelen

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Young Child ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Low Income ◽

Complementary Feeding ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Personal Factors ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Infant And Young Child

Abstract Background Mothers in low-income countries face many challenges to appropriately feed their children in the first year such as poverty, food insecurity and high workloads. However, even in the lowest income families there are mothers who succeed to feed their children according to the recommendations. In this paper, we explored the coping strategies that facilitate appropriate breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices among rural Rwandan mothers from birth to one year of a child’s life. Methods This qualitative longitudinal study recruited a purposive sample of 17 mothers who followed the infant and young child feeding recommendations (IYCF). They were selected from a larger study of 36 mothers. In-depth interviews were conducted with mothers of the total group (36 mothers) within the first week, at 4th, 6th, 9th and 12th months postpartum. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Results Coping strategies included improving mothers’ own diet for adequate breastmilk production, prioritizing child feeding over livelihood chores, livelihood diversification and mothers’ anticipatory behaviors such as preparing child’s food in advance. Some of those coping strategies were shifting overtime depending on the development of the children. Personal factors such as breastfeeding self-efficacy, religious beliefs and perceived benefits of breastfeeding were among the facilitating factors. Additionally, social support that mothers received from family members, other mothers in the community, Community Health Workers (CHWs) and health professionals played an important role. Conclusion In challenging contextual conditions, mothers manage to follow the recommended breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices through the interplay of active coping strategies, feeling to be in control and social support. Nutrition promotion interventions that aim to improve IYCF should consider strengthening mothers’ capability in gaining greater control of their IYCF practices and the factors facilitating their appropriate IYCF practices.

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Mothers’ perceptions on and learning from infant and young child feeding videos displayed in Mother and Child Health Centers in Kenya - a qualitative and quantitative approach

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021002342 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-38

Author(s):

Lauriina Schneider ◽

Mikko Kosola ◽

Kerttu Uusimäki ◽

Sari Ollila ◽

Crippina Lubeka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Child ◽

Complementary Feeding ◽

Health Centers ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Infant And Young Child ◽

Mother And Child Health ◽

Mother And Child ◽

And Child Health ◽

Child Health Centers

Abstract Objective The objective was to explore mothers’ perceptions of educational videos on infant and young child feeding practices, and to assess whether viewing frequencies would influence maternal knowledge, attitudes and feeding practices (KAPs). Design A set of 47 videos were displayed in health centers for 6 months. At three months, we conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) with mothers and at six months, administered KAP-questionnaire-based interviews to mothers. Using a quasi-experimental design we compared groups according to video viewing frequencies. Setting The study was conducted in a slum in Nairobi and a rural area in Machakos, Kenya. We installed TV screens in waiting rooms of six Mother and Child Health Centers, where mothers could choose to watch them. Participants Forty-three mothers with children aged 0 to 48 months participated in six FGDs and 547 mothers of children aged 0 to 23 months in KAP interviews. Results The mothers from the FGDs found the videos acceptable and beneficial. Videos enhanced mothers’ learning and empowered them to support others in learning. The KAP data showed that after adjustments, breastfeeding (p=0.06) and complementary feeding knowledge (p=0.01), complementary feeding attitudes (p=0.08), as well as hygiene knowledge and practices (p=0.003) were better among mothers who had seen videos three to four times, or five or more times, compared to mothers who had seen the videos once or twice. Conclusions Videos were an accepted form of education and were beneficial when watched repeatedly. The videos could be a good addition to current IYCF education efforts in Kenya.

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Information seeking of French parents regarding Infant and Young Child Feeding: practices, needs and determinants

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021003086 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-34

Author(s):

Sofia De Rosso ◽

Sophie Nicklaus ◽

Pauline Ducrot ◽

Camille Schwartz

Keyword(s):

Young Child ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Parental Education ◽

Online Survey ◽

Medical Condition ◽

Communication Strategy ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Infant And Young Child ◽

Child Age

Abstract Objective: As part of an update of feeding benchmarks targeting children aged 0 to 3 years, this study aimed to explore parental perceptions, information-seeking practices and needs concerning infant and young child feeding (IYCF) to design an efficient communication strategy. Design: Participants were recruited using the quota sampling to complete an online survey. Effects of parity, child age, prematurity, parental education and financial situation on parents’ responses were evaluated separately. Setting: France. Participants: A nationally representative sample of 1001 parents of children <4 years. Results: Parents whose child had any medical condition affecting feeding (CMC, 17%) were considered separately from healthy children’s parents. All the healthy children’s parents recognized the importance of IYCF for children’s health and growth; however, one-third considered the available advice contradictory and not guilt-free. The most used information sources were healthcare professionals (HCPs, 81%), internet (72%) and parental networks (63%). The most influential sources (mean influence ± SDs) included HCPs (7.7±1.7/10), childcare professionals (7.3±1.8/10) and parental networks (6.9±1.8/10). Parents searched for practical tips for implementing IYCF starting when their child was 5 months old. Differences regarding the type of source used by parents with higher vs. lower educations were small. Search strategies differed according to parity or child age but not to prematurity. The CMC parents reported slightly different practices and needs. Conclusions: Parents receive information from multiple sources, which can lead to confusion when deciding which advice to follow. A public health communication strategy adapted to the current parental needs should target these various sources.

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Infant and young child feeding practices in Ethiopia: analysis of socioeconomic disparities based on nationally representative data

Archives of Public Health ◽

10.1186/s13690-021-00555-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 79 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nigatu Regassa Geda ◽

Cindy Xin Feng ◽

Bonnie Janzen ◽

Rein Lepnurm ◽

Carol J. Henry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Child ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Health Concern ◽

Proportional Odds ◽

Child Feeding ◽

Gainful Employment ◽

Young Child Feeding ◽

Child Feeding Practices ◽

Infant And Young Child ◽

Unit Increase

Abstract Background Undernutrition among children is a priority area of public health concern in Ethiopia. The purpose of this study was to examine disparities in Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices among children 6–23 months. Method Data were drawn from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys (EDHS). A total of 3240 children aged 6–23 months were used for the present analysis. The outcome variable was IYCF practice score (ranging 0–7) which was constructed based on the linear and combined effects of four sets of variables: breastfeeding, avoidance of bottle feeding, diet diversity score and minimum feeding frequency. IYCF practice score was further recoded into three categories. Proportional odds regression was used to assess the determinants of IYCF category. Results The proportional odds regression analysis showed that IYCF scores significantly decreased by 5% (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.93–0.97) for every unit increase in the child’s age. Households with fathers of primary and secondary and above level education were 1.37 times (95% CI: 1.14–1.66) and 1.67 times (95% CI: 1.26–2.23) more likely to be in the high IYCF category than in the poor IYCF category. The likelihood of being in the high IYCF practice category decreased for non-working mothers by 30% (AOR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.59–0.83) compared to those working in gainful employment. The chance of being in the high IYCF practice category decreased by 29% for households with no access to radio (AOR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.59–0.85). Those with medium and rich/richer wealth category were 1.54 times (95% CI: 1.22–1.94) and 1.40 times (95% CI: 1.11–1.75) more likely to belong to high IYCF practice category than being in poor IYCF category. For every unit increase in health service utilization, the chance of falling in higher IYCF category increases by 1.15 times (95% CI: 1.08–1.23). The chance of falling in higher IYCF practice category decreases for rural residents by 37% (AOR = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.47–0.84) compared to those residing in urban areas. Conclusion For a child, the first two years is the time span during which linear faltering of growth is most prevalent and the period when the process of becoming stunted is almost complete. This study recommends improving access to women for gainful employment, provision of economic support to poor rural women, education and promotion of nutrition messages using most accessible media and boosting the positive role of fathers in child feeding practices.

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