Influence of agriculture on child nutrition through child feeding practices in India: A district-level analysis

Malnutrition continues to be a primary concern for researchers and policymakers in India. There is limited scientific research on the effect of agriculture on child nutrition in the country using a large representative sample. To the best of our knowledge, no study has examined the spatial clustering of child malnutrition and its linkage with agricultural production at the district-level in the country. The present study aims to examine agricultural production’s role in improving the nutritional status of Indian children through child feeding practices. The nutritional indicators of children from the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015–16) and the agricultural production data for all the 640 districts of India obtained from the District-Wise Crop Production Statistics (2015–16), published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India were used for the analysis. The statistical analysis was undertaken in STATA (version 14.1). ArcMap (version 10.3), and GeoDa (version 1.8) were used for the spatial analysis. The study found a higher prevalence of malnutrition among children who had not received Minimum Meal Frequency (MMF), Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD), and Minimum Acceptable Diet (MAD). Further, child feeding practices- MMF, MDD, and MAD- were positively associated with high yield rates of spices and cereals. The yield rate of cash crops, on the contrary, harmed child feeding practices. Production of pulses had a significant positive effect on MDD and MAD. Districts with high cereal yield rates ensured that children receive MMF and MAD. There is a significant spatial association between child feeding practices and malnutrition across Indian districts. The study suggests that adopting nutrient-sensitive agriculture may be the best approach to improving children’s nutritional status.

Infant and young child feeding practices and its associated factors among mothers of under two years children in a western hilly region of Nepal

Infant and young child feeding is a key area to improve child survival and promote healthy growth and development. Nepal government has developed and implemented different programs to improve infant and young child feeding practice. However, the practice remains poor and is a major cause of malnutrition in Nepal. This study aims to identify infant and young child feeding practices and its associated factors among mothers of children aged less than two years in western hilly region of Nepal. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 360 mothers of under two years’ children in Syangja district. A semi structural questionnaire was used. Data was entered in EpiData and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21. Descriptive statistics were used to report the feeding practices and other independent variables. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression model was used to establish the factors associated with infant and young child feeding practices. The prevalence of breastfeeding, timely initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, timely initiation of complementary feeding, minimum dietary diversity, minimum meal frequency and minimum acceptable diet (MAD) were 95.6%, 69.2%, 47.6%, 53.3%, 61.5%, 67.3% and 49.9% respectively. Normal delivery (AOR 6.1, 95% CI 1.2–31.3) and higher maternal autonomy (AOR 5.2, 95% CI 1.8–14.6) were significantly associated with exclusive breastfeeding. Similarly, crop production and food security (AOR 3.8, 95% CI 1.9–7.7), maternal knowledge on MAD (AOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.0–6.2) and maternal autonomy (AOR 4.2, 95% CI 2.1–8.4) were significantly associated with minimum acceptable diet. Factors such as maternal education, maternal health services utilization, maternal knowledge, and maternal autonomy were associated with infant and young child feeding practices, which warrants further attention to these factors to reduce malnutrition.

Caregiver perceived barriers to the use of micronutrient powder for children aged 6–59 months in Bangladesh

Background The effectiveness of micronutrient powder (MNP) on the health outcome of children is yet to be proved. Although studies identified the barriers to the use of MNP the underlying factors related to the barriers to the use of MNP are still unexplored. We examined the underlying factors associated with the barriers reported by the caregivers of the children aged 6–59 months in Bangladesh. Methods We analyzed pooled data of 3, 634 caregiver-child dyads extracted from eight cross-sectional surveys. The surveys were conducted as part of an evaluation of the Maternal, Infant and Young Children Nutrition programme (phase 2) in Bangladesh. We performed univariate analysis to find the barriers reported by the caregivers of the children. We identified the underlying factors related to the reported barriers by performing multiple logistic regression analysis. Results The mostly reported barrier was perceived lack of need for MNP among the caregivers of the children (39.9%), followed by lack of awareness of the product (21.7%) and cost of the product (18.1%). Caregivers of older children (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.69; 95% CI: 1.43, 2.00) and caregivers who maintained good infant and young child feeding practices (aOR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.57) perceived more lack of need for MNP. Caregivers of the female children (aOR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.63, 0.98) were less likely to report that their children disliked MNP compared to the caregivers of the male children. Conclusion Programmes intended to effectively promote MNP among the caregivers of children aged 6–59 months should carefully consider the factors that could underlie the barriers to the use of MNP.

Mothers’ Knowledge And Attitude Towards Infant And Young Child Feeding Practices In Shashemene City, Oromia- Ethiopia 2020

The scheme youngsters are fed has a huge impact on their development. Poor breastfeeding and infant feeding practices have a negative impact on children's health and nutritional status.Purpose: The study's aim was to analyze mothers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding supplemental feeding of children aged 6–23 months in Shashamene City, Oromia Ethiopia.Methods : A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1-january 28 using a two-stage sampling procès to chose 536 women with children aged 6 to 23 months for the study. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software were used to analyze the data. The characteristics related with complementary feeding (CF) practice were identified using logistic regression, and statistical significance was determined at p-value of less than 0.05.Results: This study found that complementary food was first introduced at the age of 6 months, 353 (68.4 %) and 167 (32.1 %) at greater and Less than 6 months age with bottle feeding (AOR: 0.27, 95 % CI: (0.13, 0.55)). Sources of information about the advantages of breast milk (AOR:4.3495 % CI (1.96,9.60)), minimum dietary diversity (AOR:2.21,95 % CI(1.01,4.85)), knowledge about iron-rich foods (AOR:0.029,95 % CI (0.04,0.21)), knowledge about iodine-rich foods (AOR:0.022,95 % CI (0.03,0.16)) were discovered to be independent predictors of mother’s knowledge on appropriate infant feedingConclusion: Mothers' knowledge about the timing of CF practices is low in this study. Botte feeding, sources of information about the benefits of breast Milk, a minimum dietary diversity, knowledge about infant and young child feeding were the indépendant factors that significantly associated with mother's knowledge of appropriate infant and Young Child feeding practices.

Contribution of home availability, parental child-feeding practices and health beliefs on children’s sweets and salty snacks consumption in Europe: Feel4Diabetes-Study

Adoption of healthy dietary and snacking habits could support optimum physical and mental development in children as they define health in adulthood. This study assessed parameters associated with children’s snacking such as food home availability, parenting practices, and parents’ health beliefs. In this cross-sectional study 12, 039 children, 49.4% boys 5-12 years old, participating in the European Feel4Diabetes-Study were included. Children’s weekly consumption of sweets and salty snacks, home availability of snacks, food parenting practices, and health beliefs were assessed via questionnaires. Logistic regression was applied to explore associations of a) home availability of snacks, b) food parenting practices (permissiveness and rewarding with snacks) and c) parent’s opinions on deterministic health beliefs with children’s consumption of sweets and salty snacks. Results showed that home availability (sweets: ORadj 4.76, 95%CI: 4.32, 5.23; salty snacks: ORadj: 6.56, 95%CI: 5.64, 7.61), allowing to consume (sweets: ORadj: 3.29, 95%CI: 2.95, 3.67; salty snacks: ORadj: 3.41, 95%CI: 2.98, 3.90) and rewarding with sweets/salty snacks (sweets: ORadj: 2.69, 95%CI: 2.23, 3.24; salty snacks: ORadj: 4.34, 95%CI: 3.57, 5.28) ‘sometimes/or less frequently’ compared to ‘always/or often’ were associated with lower weekly consumption of sweets and snacks. Parents’ disagreement compared to agreement with deterministic health beliefs and inattentive eating were associated with lower consumption of salty snacks and sweets in children. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that attempts to promote healthy snacking habits in children should aim to improve parental dietary habits, food parenting practices, health beliefs, and reducing home availability of unhealthy foods and snacks.

Does attitude towards wife beating determine infant feeding practices during diarrheal illness in sub-Saharan Africa?

Background Inappropriate feeding practices of children during illness remains a public health problem globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). One strategy to improve child health outcomes is through women empowerment—measured by wife beating attitude. However, the role of attitude towards wife beating in child feeding practices has not been comprehensively studied. Therefore, we investigated the association between women's attitude towards wife beating and child feeding practices during childhood diarrhea in 28 countries in SSA. Methods We analyzed data from the Demographic and Health Survey on 40,720 children under 5 years. Bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were applied to assess the association between women's attitude towards wife beating and child feeding practices. The results were presented using adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results The pooled results showed that appropriate feeding practices during diarrheal illness among under-five children was 9.3% in SSA, varying from 0.4% in Burkina Faso to 21.1% in Kenya. Regarding regional coverage, the highest coverage was observed in Central Africa (9.3%) followed by East Africa (5.5%), Southern Africa (4.8%), and West Africa (4.2%). Women who disagreed with wife-beating practices had higher odds of proper child feeding practices during childhood diarrhea compared to those who justified wife-beating practices (aOR = 2.02, 95% CI; 1.17–3.48). Conclusion The findings suggest that women’s disagreement with wife beating is strongly associated with proper child feeding practices during diarrheal illness in SSA. Proactive measures and interventions designed to change attitudes towards wife-beating practices are crucial to improving proper feeding practices in SSA.

Assessment of nutritional status of children (12-36 months of age) in urban area of district Rohtak, Haryana: a cross-sectional study

Background: Children 1-3 years of age are most vulnerable to the vicious cycles of malnutrition, disease/infection and resultant disability all of which influence the present condition of a child at the microlevel and the future human resource development of the nation at the macrolevel.Methods: Urban field practice area attached to the department of community medicine, Pt. B. D Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak being served by 14 anganwadi centres out of which 8 anganwadi centres were selected randomly. From each selected anganwadi centre, 22 children of 1-3 years of age group were selected by simple random sampling, thus, a sample of 176 children were included in the study.Results: Overall prevalence of undernutrition in our study was found as follows: wasted 14.1%; underweight 20.0%; stunted 24.1%. Inverse relation between prevalence of undernutrition and educational status of mother was observed. Children who were >3 in birth order had high prevalence of wasting, stunting and underweight. Children with low birth weight were having higher percentages of wasting, stunting, and underweight. Children who took supplementary nutrition regularly from AWC were less likely to be undernourished.Conclusions: Every endeavor should be made to combat the outcomes of undernutrition through multipronged approach such as growth monitoring, nutritional supplementation etc., Also, present study findings reinforce the importance of proper infant and child feeding practices and appropriate maternal care in prevention of childhood undernutrition.

Linkages between environmental factors (WASH and energy) and Infant and Young Child Feeding practices in rural India: implications for cross-sectoral interventions for child health

As factors influencing the health and well-being of children are complex and cross-sectoral, integrated interventions are required to improve child health and hence address the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper explores linkages between environmental factors, feeding practices and potential infection pathways in India. The PANChSHEEEL project is a participatory interdisciplinary study, designed to explore HEEE (Health, Education, Engineering and Environment) factors influencing Infant and Young Child Feeding practices. This study uses data from observational transect walks and 445 household interviews from nine villages in Banswara district in India. Using the socio-ecological model, this study demonstrates how the lack of access to and quality of water resources, poor access to sanitation and hygiene practices, access to cook fuels and flooding can influence feeding practices. The study finds that access to water, sanitation and cooking fuels can affect the preparation of food, contaminate water and food and place added time burden on caregivers. For infants, insufficient and contaminated water can lead to a higher risk of infection, diarrhoea and ultimately malnutrition. Recommendations include efforts to address waterlogging, promote safe storage of water, establish a water quality regime with stakeholders and develop appropriate, affordable and acceptable sanitation solutions.