A training intervention on child feeding among primary healthcare workers in Ibadan Municipality.

Folake O Samuel,Joshua D Adeniyi,Funmilola M Olaolorun

doi:10.4102/phcfm.v8i1.884

Folake O Samuel, Joshua D Adeniyi + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v8i1.884

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Abstract

IntroductionHealth workers at the primary level are well positioned to provide health information and counselling on child feeding to mothers on antenatal visits. The study was designed to evaluate the effect of training on the knowledge, attitudes and provision of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) information and counselling among primary healthcare (PHC) workers.MethodsA two-stage cluster sample was used to select health workers for training on IYCF in Ibadan, Nigeria. Baseline, immediate and 4-week post-training surveys were conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices of health workers regarding IYCF. Paired t-tests were used to measure differences (p < 0.05) before and after the training.ResultsA total of 124 health workers were trained on current global IYCF recommendations. Participants included community health extension workers (59.7%), nurses (27.4%), community health officers (11.3%), and pharmacy technicians (1.6%). Mean age was 41.8 ± 8.2 years and 95.2% were women. Knowledge of health workers regarding IYCF, particularly complementary feeding, was low at baseline but improved significantly following the training intervention. Attitudes and practices regarding provision of IYCF were suboptimal among health workers at the PHC facilities, but this improved with training.ConclusionHealth workers at the PHC level need regular retraining exercises to ensure effective counselling on IYCF.

Highlights

Health workers at the primary level are well positioned to provide health information and counselling on child feeding to mothers on antenatal visits
The health workers performed poorly on questions about complementary feeding such as correct consistency (24.2%), classification of food groups in a baby’s diet (1.6%) and ways of improving complementary feeding (3.2%)
It is interesting to note that health workers did better in the ‘yes or no’ knowledge questions than in questions that required them to list the answers. This was shown in the questions regarding breastfeeding difficulties and their management. This finding is in agreement with that of Utoo and others,[17] who found in their study among selected health workers in http://www.phcfm.org

Summary

Introduction

Health workers at the primary level are well positioned to provide health information and counselling on child feeding to mothers on antenatal visits. The study was designed to evaluate the effect of training on the knowledge, attitudes and provision of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) information and counselling among primary healthcare (PHC) workers. The current global Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) recommendation[1] is that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life and thereafter receive safe and nutritionally adequate complementary foods while breastfeeding continues up to two years of age or beyond. The proportion of children under the age of six months that are exclusively breastfed decreased from 17% in 2003 to 13% in 20085 and is currently at 17%, as shown in the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey.[6] Sixty-nine percent of children are predominantly breastfed (breast milk and only plain water or non-milk liquids such as juice, clear broth and other liquids); 13% of children under age two are bottle fed. 9% of children aged 0–1 month, 16% of children aged 2–3 months and 38% of children aged 4–5 months are given complementary foods in addition to breast milk.[6]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion