Determinants of Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices in Sri Lanka: Secondary Data Analysis of Demographic and Health Survey 2000

Abstract Objectives To understand how community perspectives toward young child nutritional illness compare to biomedical perspectives in Sri Lanka. Methods This ethnographic sub-study was embedded in a multi-phase, mixed methods formative research design to understand infant and young child feeding practices in urban, rural, and estate sectors of Sri Lanka. Data were collected among caregivers of young children to understand nutritional illness using free lists (n = 150), pile sorts (n = 84), semi-structured interviews with caregivers (n = 21) and community leaders (n = 24). Data were collected in Sinhalese and Tamil languages and translated into English for analysis. Free list and pile sort data were analyzed using cultural domain analysis with Anthropac. Textual data were analyzed thematically using Dedoose. Data sets were combined for methodological triangulation. Results During interviews, caregivers described a combination of biomedical and traditional medicine approaches for treating common childhood illness, a reflection of the continued importance of traditional medical belief systems. Beliefs grounded in Ayurvedic medicine remain important drivers of health and nutrition-seeking behaviors. Consumption of ‘cold’ foods was frequently cited as an important cause of child illness. Some caregivers did explain that promoted foods such as eggs, leafy green vegetables, fruits, and green grams are appropriate dietary choices for good child health and nutrition. Cultural domain analysis revealed nutrition-related illnesses were less salient than other common young child illnesses such as fever, common cold, and cough. Low weight was the only nutritional illness that appeared in the top 15 most salient illnesses among participants. Despite a 17% average child stunting prevalence across all sectors of Sri Lanka, chronic malnutrition and stunting were not mentioned by nearly all participants, suggesting that a local understanding of this condition may not align with the biomedical importance placed on it by health professionals. Overweight/obesity did not appear to be a concern despite a growing national prevalence. Conclusions Policies and programs aimed at improving infant and young child feeding practices in Sri Lanka may benefit from understanding and incorporating community perspectives toward nutrition-related illnesses. Funding Sources UNICEF

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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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