Abstract
Most studies about infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices are often perceived as an individual choice depending on mothers' or caregivers' knowledge or attitudes and are focused on mothers' failure rather than successes in adequately feeding their children. However, the role of life course experiences in IYCF is less investigated. Applying a Salutogenic Model of Health, this study on 14 mothers looks at women's life course learning experiences shaping appropriate IYCF practices during the first year of child's life in a rural district of Rwanda. Transcripts from in‐depth interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Results indicate that positive social interaction with parents or grandmothers during childhood such as sharing meals, parental role models for dietary choices and cooking skills gained by participating in household food preparation played a role in shaping appropriate IYCF practices. Negative experiences during childhood also had a positive influence on IYCF practices for some participants by converting life course constraints into learning opportunities. Motherhood increased mothers' sense of responsibility over their children's health and nutrition. Moreover, mothers' participation in community cooking classes and role modelling approach were strong avenues that enabled their learning through positive interactions and encouragement. Nutrition promotion interventions should consider tailoring nutrition advice to the complexity of mothers' life course experiences by creating opportunities for positive learning experiences of appropriate IYCF practices.
Highlights
Optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices have great potential for reducing child malnutrition and thereby contributing to a reduction of child mortality rate (Black et al, 2008)
This study extends the qualitative literature on IYCF by exploring the life course experiences that play a role in shaping appropriate IYCF practices during the first year of a child's life among mothers in a rural district of Rwanda
This study is among the first studies applying the salutogenic approach to explore the role of life course learning experiences on IYCF practices in the context of low- and middleincome countries
Summary
Optimal infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices have great potential for reducing child malnutrition and thereby contributing to a reduction of child mortality rate (Black et al, 2008). Many factors interact to determine how a mother feeds her child. IYCF practices are often perceived as an individual choice depending on mothers' or caregivers' knowledge, attitude or belief (van Woerkum & Bouwman, 2014), and most IYCF studies focus on exploring why mothers or caregivers fail rather than on why some mothers or caregivers manage to have healthy IYCF practices (Ramani et al, 2019). IYCF practices (unhealthy and healthy) are learned, supported and expressed within the dynamics of everyday context in which mothers live (Ahishakiye et al, 2019). The interaction between individuals (in this case mothers) and their environment and the way in which experiences throughout the life course play a role in mother's decision-making to manage optimal IYCF practices are less investigated
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