Feeding practices, nutritional status and associated factors of lactating women in Samre Woreda, South Eastern Zone of Tigray, Ethiopia

Nutrition Journal

Meron Girma¹  Afework Mulugeta³  Kiday Haileslassie² 

[1] Institute of Nutrition, Food Science and Technology, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia;Department of Public Health, Mekelle University, P.O.Box: 1871, Mekelle, Ethiopia;Department of Public Health, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia

关键词: Feeding practices;    Weighed food record;    Lactating mothers;    South Eastern Tigray;   

Others  :  811313
DOI  :  10.1186/1475-2891-12-28

 received in 2012-07-07, accepted in 2013-02-20,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Lactating mothers from low-income settings are considered as a nutritionally vulnerable group. Due to the nursing process, mothers are subjected to nutritional stresses. Frequent pregnancies followed by lactation increase the health risk of mothers resulting in a high maternal mortality.

Objective

To assess the feeding practices, nutritional status and associated factors of lactating women from Samre Woreda, South Eastern Tigray, Ethiopia.

Design

Community based cross-sectional survey

Setting

Four kebeles of Samre Woreda (2 urban & 2 rural kebeles)

Methods

Four hundred lactating mothers were recruited from 400 randomly selected households. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, maternal characteristics, feeding practices, frequency of foods eaten and dietary diversity was collected using a pre-tested and structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were taken from each mother using calibrated equipments and standardized techniques. A one-day weighed food record was also collected from randomly selected sub sample (n=60) of mothers. The nutrient and energy content of foods consumed by the mothers was calculated by using ESHA Food Processor and the Ethiopian Food Composition Tables. To investigate the socio-economic and demographic factors affecting the nutritional status of the women, logistic regression was used. ANOVA and t-test were also used to see if there was a mean difference in nutritional status among the lactating mothers.

Results

Majority (71.2%) of the participants did not take additional meals during lactation. The median dietary diversity score of the study participants was 5 out of 14 food groups. The prevalence of underweight, chronic energy deficiency and stunting were 31%, 25% and 2.2% respectively. Using logistic regression model, factors significantly associated with the nutritional status of the study participants (as determined by BMI and MUAC) were size of farm land, length of years of marriage, maize cultivation, frequency of antenatal care visit and age of breastfeeding child.

Conclusions

The feeding practices, dietary intakes and nutritional status of the lactating women were short of the national and international recommendations. Therefore, sustained health and nutrition education is recommended to the women and their families and communities on increased food intake, proper dietary practices and dietary diversification during lactation in order to improve health and nutrition outcomes of lactating women.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Haileslassie et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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