Abstract
Background: The Maasai socio-cultural beliefs and practices have been shown to influence their infant feeding hence determines their nutritional status. Objective: This study aimed to determine the complementary feeding practices among the Maasai community in Narok South sub-County. Methodology: A cross-sectional analytical study design was adopted. A total sample of 400 mothers and children were selected using simple random sampling. Data was collected using an infant and young child WHO semi-structured questionnaire and focus group discussion (FGDs) guides. Anthropometric data was interpreted using Z-scores with reference to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2006. ENA for SMART, 2011 software was used to analyze anthropometric data. Quantitative data was analyzed using statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) version 20. Statistical significance was set at p value less than 0.05. Results: Early introduction of complementary feeding was common in the community. Comparison of the prevalence of malnutrition between the boys and girls revealed that stunting and underweight was significantly higher in the girls (stunting, 33.3%; underweight, 14.1%) compared to the boys (stunting, 26.8%; underweight, 11.3%), On the other hand a larger proportion of the boys had low weight for height (8.9%) compared with the girls (11.0%). Cultural factors and taboos were seen to have greatly influenced the infant feeding practices. Conclusion: Socio-cultural factors associated with the complementary feeding have a strong influence on children 6-23 months of age in the Maasai community, in Narok South -Sub County. Keyword s: socio-cultural factors, complementary feeding, Nutrition status, pastoralists. DOI : 10.7176/JHMN/62-18 Publication date :May 31 st 2019
Highlights
Complementary feeding is greater determinant towards child growth and development, this is sometimes not met due to false beliefs
A total of 400 participants were included in the study and were residents of Narok South Sub County
Half of the mothers/caregivers (53%) of the responded that complementary foods should be introduced at 6 months while the rest 47% feel it should be introduced at 4 months
Summary
Complementary feeding is greater determinant towards child growth and development, this is sometimes not met due to false beliefs. Introduction of safe complementary foods is practiced by 67% of mothers at 6 months worldwide. The associated effects of poverty, inadequate household access to food, infectious disease, and inadequate breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices often lead to illness, growth faltering, nutrient deficiencies, delayed development, and death, during the first two years of life are a major obstacle to sustainable socio-economic development and poverty reduction. The Maasai socio-cultural beliefs and practices have been shown to influence their infant feeding determines their nutritional status. Objective: This study aimed to determine the complementary feeding practices among the Maasai community in Narok South sub-County. Conclusion: Socio-cultural factors associated with the complementary feeding have a strong influence on children 6-23 months of age in the Maasai community, in Narok South -Sub County.
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