Study of knowledge, attitudes and practices of complementary feeding among caregivers of children from 6 to 23 months of age from a rural community of Ecuador: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Introduction. Nutritional deficiency due to an unbalanced diet is one of the most important factors contributing to stunting or the development of comorbidities in infants. Poverty, lack of knowledge about complementary feeding (CF) schedules, or lack of information accessibility are among the major causes that affect nutritional status. Our objective was to investigate the association of caregivers' knowledges, attitudes, and CF practices with the nutritional status of children aged 6 to 23 months attending the Camilo Ponce Enriquez Health Center from October to December 2022. Methods: An observational study was conducted. Information from caregivers of 137 children aged from 6 to 23 months (mean age 12.66 ± 5.00, 51.82% female) was analyzed. The data collection process was carried out through the application of the KAP survey of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which first includes a socio-demographic survey consisting of 10 questions, 7 of which obtain information from the caregiver and 3 oriented to obtain data from the child. Informed consensus was obtained previous to the survey application. Information on the nutritional status was obtained from the medical history data provided by the nursing department. Pearson's Chi-squared test was applied to establish whether or not there was an association between the nutritional variables. Results: 55.96% of caregivers had appropriate CF practices. Meanwhile, 77.89% and 77.55% had adequate knowledge and attitudes about CF. A statistically significant association (p < 0.05) was found between nutritional diagnosis and maternal CF knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Conclusions: The knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the target population reached a moderate level, laying the foundation for the study of risk factors, as well as educational strategies to prevent malnutrition.

Keywords

• Eating habits
• nutritional status
• Malnutrition
• Children
• Complementary feeding