Maternal Education and Complementary Feeding

Abstract

This study indicates the possible association between maternal education and the complementary feeding practices among representative sample of Pakistani mothers and their infants. The research team claims this sample as representativ e one, as the population of Islamabad is a heterogeneous group of people settled in Federal capital. Mothers of five hundred infants, age ranging from 6-12 month, visiting for immunization and various minor ailments were selected through convenience sampling technique from the Outpatient department of Paediatrics at Federal Government Services Hospital, Islamabad,. The data was collected by the researchers with the help of a pre-tested questionnaire, Tabulated and analyzed to find out possible association between mother's education and the prevalent complementary feeding practices. A positive relationship was found between the nutritional status of infants and educational status of mothers (P<0.001). The study revealed that the majority of Pakistani infants falling in various degrees of malnutrition belonged to the uneducated mothers. Similar relationship was observed between the educational status of respondents and the introduction of complementary foods at an appropriate age (six months) of infant s (P<0.001 It was noted that a high percentage of respondents (34.8%) who introduced complementary foods to their infants at six months age belonged to educated class. Similarly educated Pakistani mothers were more aware of the appropriate frequency of complementary feeding in every age group The study concludes that mother's education play a vital role in increasing receptivity to nutritional requirements of their infants and improved complementary feeding practices.