Parental Childcare Practices Related to Nutrition, Psychosocial Support, Water Sanitation and Hygiene in Kanam Communities, Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

Parental childcare practices involve the interactions, behaviours, emotions, knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and practices associated with providing children with health, nutrition, responsive caregiving, safety and security, and early learning. However, this study examined parental childcare practices related to nutrition, psychosocial support, water sanitation and hygiene in Kanam communities in Plateau State, Nigeria. Three objectives and one hypothesis were formulated for the survey research. Four primary health centres were purposively selected to draw up the 697 respondents (511 females and 187 males). Structured questionnaires and checklists on childcare practices related to the study were developed and administered to the parents. The major findings indicated that childcare practices on nutrition were grossly below the requirements, psychosocial support practices were average, and WASH practices were below average. The findings also established that parental childcare practices related to nutrition, psychosocial, and WASH have a significant difference. Recommendations include stakeholders intensifying good nutrition knowledge provision for caregivers nursing children below age five, parents improving their interaction with their children using play materials, and the government reintroducing environmental inspection officers in every community to enforce WASH practices.