EFFECT OF MATERNAL LITERACY ON NUTRITIONAL STATUS 0-5 YEARS

EFFECT OF MATERNAL LITERACY ON NUTRITIONAL STATUS 0-5 YEARS

ABSTRACT

This study looked at the effect of maternal literacy on nutritional status in children aged 0 to 5, with a focus on the mother and child hospital in Ondo State. The study specifically assesses mothers’ knowledge level in recommended nutrition-related childcare practices. The study also looks into whether the translation of acquired health and nutritional knowledge into practice in impoverished rural communities is affected by the socioeconomic status of the household. The study also looks at the nutritional status of infants and young children under the age of one (s). Finally, the researchers created a composite childcare knowledge index and investigated its relationship with nutritional indicators in children. The survey descriptive research design was used in the study. The survey yielded a total of 30 valid responses. The findings were revealed based on the responses obtained and analyzed. that maternal knowledge of recommended childcare practices is high. The study also discovered that the socioeconomic status of the mother influences her ability to put acquired knowledge into practice in order to improve the nutritional status of children in impoverished rural communities in Nigeria. Finally, the study discovered a direct link between child development and a composite childcare knowledge index. According to the study, a comprehensive and successful strategy for reducing malnutrition among children aged five and under should be country-specific, take into account well-defined nutritional indicators, and employ a multifaceted approach that includes investments in maternal education, sanitation, and poverty alleviation. Parents should also improve environmental settings both inside and outside the home, with a focus on indoor air quality.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

In Nigeria, the prevalence of chronic malnutrition among children under the age of five remains persistently high. For example, in Nigeria’s Northern Region, 32.5% of children under the age of five are stunted, 12.9% are wasted, and 21.8% are underweight (1). Inadequate childcare practices are critical to addressing childhood malnutrition. In Nigeria, poor maternal education (both formal and informal) has been identified as a major impediment to good childcare practices (2). A well-resourced, targeted, and coordinated nutrition education program can significantly improve maternal nutritional knowledge, healthcare-seeking behaviors, and practices. As a result, a number of health-related non-governmental organizations, including Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), World Vision International (WVI), and the Nigeria Health Service (GHS), have been promoting proper childcare practices, such as appropriate infant-feeding practices and childhood illness management. For example, diarrhoea. Typically, health and nutrition messages are aimed at mothers, the majority of whom have not received formal education. These women typically seek health care at antenatal clinics and child welfare centers (CWC). Furthermore, use of preventive health services allows for the improvement of care practices through both preventive healthcare (immunization, antenatal care for the mother, etc.) and the management of childhood morbidity. It is therefore expected that effective utilization of knowledge and skills gained from health and nutrition education will improve children’s health and nutritional status through improved knowledge and care practices. However, data on the impact of nutrition education is limited, particularly in women who have not received formal education. Knowledge as well as experience influence care behavior choices.

by resource availability. Individuals’ practices and behaviors are influenced by their knowledge, awareness, and skill levels. Even in households with comparable levels of access to disposable income and resources, there is a wide variation in children’s nutritional outcomes (3), implying that factors other than resources are responsible for children’s nutritional status. Adequate childcare is a key factor in achieving maximum growth. Caregiving behaviors that provide a conducive environment in which children are raised are critical to children’s nutritional outcomes, and the International Conference on Nutrition has recommended that policy attention be paid to them (4).

Since 1990, the UNICEF Model of Care has established the fundamental role of care in child nutrition. Caregivers must be educated (both formal and informal) in order to provide adequate care.

and informal), time, and assistance (e.g. control of resources). In the Nigerian context, it is unclear what the relationship is between nonliterate mothers’ nutritional knowledge and their children’s nutritional status. Mothers’ knowledge of child nutrition and childcare practices would be expected to have a significant impact on their children’s nutritional status. However, research findings on this subject are conflicting.

While some studies have found that maternal nutritional knowledge is related to children’s nutritional status (5-7), others have found that adequate knowledge does not always translate into appropriate actions (8–10). Understanding the factors that influence the translation of adequate child health and nutritional knowledge into appropriate action in impoverished settings may aid in the development of more effective interventions.

Against malnutrition. It is unclear whether providing adequate knowledge to mothers about proper childcare practices has an independent impact on child growth. As a result, this study looked into the relationship between a mother’s level of knowledge in childcare practices and the nutritional status of preschool children living in impoverished rural communities in Northern Nigeria.

1.2 Problem description

In Nigeria, health and nutrition education is a common intervention aimed at mothers, the majority of whom lack formal education. However, there is insufficient empirical evidence on the relationship between nonliterate mothers’ nutritional knowledge and their children’s nutritional status. Although maternal education is an important predictor of children’s nutritional status, it is unclear whether mothers’ practical nutrition knowledge has an independent effect on child growth. Furthermore, the elements

that have an impact on the translation of acquired knowledge into practice are poorly understood. This is the knowledge gap that this study seeks to fill.

1.3 Research concerns

1. How well-versed are mothers in recommended childcare practices?

2. Does the socioeconomic status of the mother influence her ability to acquire knowledge in order to improve the nutritional status of children in Nigeria’s impoverished rural communities?

3. Is there a clear relationship between child development and a composite childcare knowledge index?

1.4 The study’s objectives

The study’s main goal was to examine the relationship between maternal nutritional knowledge in childcare practices and child growth in children aged 0 to 36 months in Northern Nigeria.

The study’s specific objectives were to:

I Determine the level of knowledge of mothers

in nutrition-related recommended childcare practices;

(ii) investigate whether acquired health and nutritional knowledge in impoverished rural communities is affected by the socioeconomic status of the household;

(iii) determine the nutritional status of infants and young children aged 0 to 36 months;

(iv) create a composite childcare knowledge index and investigate its relationship with children’s nutritional indicators.

1.5 Importance of the research

Policymakers must gain a better understanding of the relationship between maternal knowledge and child health outcomes in order to better promote change and improve children’s well-being in impoverished communities. The circumstances in which acquired knowledge is put into practice are critical in determining potential interventions. This research aims to fill that knowledge gap.

1.6 The Study’s Scope

This study will assess mothers’ knowledge of recommended nutrition-related childcare practices. The study will also look into whether acquired health and nutritional knowledge practice is affected by household socioeconomic status. The study will also assess the nutritional status of infants and young children aged 0 to 5 years. Finally, this research will create a composite childcare knowledge index and look into its relationship with nutritional indicators in children.