Authors : Babita Susan Kuruvilla, Saju C.R, Jenyz M Mundodan, Jini M.P
DOI : 10.18231/j.ijfcm.2019.016
Volume : 6
Issue : 2
Year : 2019
Page No : 66-69
Introduction: Adequate Nutrition during infancy is required to ensure health, growth and development of children. Inappropriate feeding practices and infectious diseases are the main causes of malnutrition during the two years of life. The second half of an infant’s first year is a vulnerable time, when breast milk alone cannot meet his/ her nutritional requirements and complementary feeding (CF) should be initiated. Safe preparation and hygiene practices are important determinants of proper CF practices.
Objective: To compare the hygiene practices related to complementary feeding among mothers in rural and urban areas in Thrissur district; and to determine the factors influencing this.
Materials and Methods: A comparative descriptive study was conducted among mothers of children in the age group of 1 to 2 years in the urban and rural field practice areas of Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur from January 2016 to June 2017. House to house visits were done and data on hygiene practices related to complementary feeding was collected using pretested questionnaire through interview method.
Results: Before food preparation, 55%and 22.8% mothers in the urban and rural areas always wash their hands with soap. Before feeding, 45% mothers in the urban area always wash their hands with soap as compared to and 20 (9.9%) in the rural area. The difference in the hygiene practices before food preparation, before and after feeding, use of boiled water and the use of separate utensils in the rural and urban area was found to be statistically significant (P=0.001).There is significant statistical difference between mothers’ education, socioeconomic status and hygiene practices.
Conclusion: Hygiene practices in the urban area were generally more satisfactory than in the rural areas.
Keywords: Complementary feeding, Hygiene practices, Infant and young child feeding, Urban, Rural.