Mothers' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding their infants' nutritional status at EL- Shegilla Block Abusaid Locality

This quasi - experimental study was conducted at EL-Shigella Block, Omdurman Governorate 2004, with the objective of assessing the impact of health education programs in raising the awareness of the mothers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices about feeding of children less than two years of age.Using the cluster sample technique the final sample – intact sample, (320) of lactating mothers under the study was selected from house to house visiting of all the residents in the study area .320 lactating mothers were divided equally into two groups 160 as experimental group, and 160 as control. Both of them would be subjected to pre-test questionnaire under the same condition so as to give base line information about infants’ feeding. Posttest questionnaire took place after three months from the pretest to identify the results of the intervention programs that included diverse activities like: (Home visits consultation, school health education, and small groups' discussions). Also about 25 individual from different sectors were trained for two weeks to assist in this study and filling the questionnaires. Data analyses were conducted using EPINFO (Epidemic Information) statistical package to show the significance and insignificance of parameters via X2 processes. The results were displayed in tables, figures, discussed, and recommendations were listed. The result of this study from pretest questionnaire & observations showed: The majority of lactating mothers (59.4%) experimental group & (55.7%) control group had known the suitable age for supplementary –feeding (table -7). Table (4) showed (59.4%) experimental group & (60%) of control group had known that the importance of breastfeeding according to child demand, meanwhile (84.4%) of experimental group & (86.9%) of control group, had known that the long duration of breastfeeding that has positive effect of both mother & her child, table (8). Also it was observed that the situation was worse about the personal hygiene of some mothers & their children. After the intervention programs to experimental group, the study provided many essential results: Insignificantly the result of intervention programs to the experimental group reflected bad attitudes and bad behavior that may lead to decline the health of both mothers & their children, e.g, (66.8%) of lactating mothers in experimental group did not practice breast-feeding according to child need, table (20). (84.3%) of mothers’ experimental group did not continue breastfeeding during the sickness of the child, table (14). Also table (11) explained (34.4%) of respondents terminated breastfeeding when the child suffered from diarrhea disease. The study also revealed that many factors were having a role in rising the awareness of both groups had been raised by exposure to other programs disseminated by media and MCH programs, etc.The results of this study agreed and differed with several other studies & researches that reported an association of infants' feeding improvement with mothers’ KAPs improved. The conclusion is that, the frequency of un favorable attitudes & malpractices among the respondents were found to be very high in the study area before & after intervention programs. This may be due to high illiteracy among mothers; different races dictate different behaviors, wrong beliefs & lack of effective health education programs towards infant nutritional status. Hence, this study conducted with the following recommendations: Health and nutrition education should be expanded and must concentrate on: Child nutrition, Prevention of diarrheal diseases, and improving of mothers’ attitudes & practices regarding their infants' nutritional status, and feeding. Further research must be conducted to investigate mothers’ salient beliefs about breast feeding & the role of grandmothers living in extended families at El- Shiglla in dictating malpractices during breastfeeding