Abstract
Background: In Kiribati, malnutrition is the leading cause of death for children aged less than 5 years. The purpose of this study was to explore contributing factors among mothers of malnourished children under 5 years old in Kiribati. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in an urban area of South Tarawa among mothers of malnourished children aged less than 5 years in 11 public health centers in 2016. The study included 9 focus group discussions, with a sub sample of 3 to 4 in each group, having a total of 35 participants. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, data was collected and thematic analysis was applied to analysis the data. Results: Seven main themes were identified including; knowledge, behaviors, perceived severity, perceived benefits to action, perceived barriers and cultural related issues. These encompassed a variety of reasons which could explain the malnutrition in children of those particular mothers. Conclusion: In order to tackle malnutrition in Kiribati, it is crucial to identify the main factors that are hindering this preventable disease. This study provides information essential to enhanced decision making, health care delivery planning and has policy implications for the improvement of quality of health care in Kiribati.
Highlights
Malnutrition remains a major problem in developing countries, but worldwide affecting mostly children under 5 years old[1,2]
The exclusion criteria were mothers who didn’t meet the study inclusion criteria and were not willing to participate in the focus group discussion (FGD), mothers or children who were not residents on South Tarawa and mothers with children aged more than 5 years old
One mother from one group said that 1 year old is the right age to start complementary feeding, whereas others said it was 2 years old, 3 years old and 4 years old
Summary
Malnutrition remains a major problem in developing countries, but worldwide affecting mostly children under 5 years old[1,2]. Malnutrition amongst children under 5 years old is a major public health issue, on the main island of South Tarawa in the Republic of Kiribati with nearly 15% of the children underweight and with considerable gaps in immunization[11]. The purpose of this study was to explore contributing factors among mothers of malnourished children under 5 years old in Kiribati. Results: Seven main themes were identified including; knowledge, behaviors, perceived severity, perceived benefits to action, perceived barriers and cultural related issues. These encompassed a variety of reasons which could explain the malnutrition in children of those particular mothers. This study provides information essential to enhanced decision making, health care delivery planning and has policy implications for the improvement of quality of health care in Kiribati
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
