ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
Malnutrition is widespread in Nigeria and has persisted at alarmingly high rate. Nutrition problems are at times due to lack of education and knowledge about healthy nutrition behaviours and practices. The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge of infant nutrition in Enugu State, Nigeria. Ten focus-Group Discussions (FGDS) were conducted with seven (7) persons in each group comprising 5 young groups (18 – 35 years) and 5 old groups (36 years and above). The FGDS were analyzed using a thematic framework. The findings from the qualitative study showed that mothers had a very low perception on ways of improving children’s health. For instance many of them were against feeding their infants with meat or eggs because of their cultural beliefs and had negative perceptions on the exclusive breastfeeding and immunization services in their communities. In view of the above, the findings highlight the need to employ education to correct many of these archaic cultural practices mostly found in Nigerian rural communities and invest in programmes that will enhance the knowledge of infant nutrition among mothers in Nigeria.
Mwangome, M., Andrew, P., Plugge, E., and Nweneka, C. (2010). Determinants of Appropriate child Health and Nutrition practices among women in rural Gambia. Health popul. 28. (2) 167 – 172, Bangladesh.
Blossner, M., and de Onis, M. (2005) Malnutrition quantifying the health impacts at national and local levels. Geneva: world Health organization, 43P Environmental burden of diseases series No 12.
Onyezili, F. (2005). Adequate Nutrition for the development of the rural child, invited paper delivered at the centre for rural Development, University of Nigeria Nsukka,
UNICEF/FGN. (1994). The Nutritional status of women and children in Nigeria, Lagos, Nigeria.
FAO/UNDP. (2001). Malnutrition cited in Encyclopedia of life sciences, London, Natural publishing group. The Macmillan Building.
World Bank. (2002). Prospects for improving nutrition in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Washington. D.C.
Phengxay, M., Ali, M., Yagyu, F., Soulivanh, P., Kuroiwa, C., and Ushijima, H. (2007). Risk factors for protein energy malnutrition in children under 5 years, study from Laos. Pediatr int., 49:260 – 5.
Ngwu, C. N. (2011). Knowledge of infant nutritional needs in Enugu Nigeria: implication for child health in Nigeria, unpublished PhD. Theses, Department of social work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Obionu, C. (2001). Primary Health care for Developing countries, Enugu, Delta publication.
Richmond, M. (1953) Social diagnosis, New York, Russel Sage Foundation.
Thomson, C. (1992). Counseling children, 3rd edition, Brooks/Cole, California Publishing Company, Wadsworth Inc.
Burtrym, Z. (1967). Social work in medical Care, London: Macmillan press Ltd.
De Negri, B., and Thomas, E. (2003). Making sense of focus group findings, a systematic participatory analysis approach. Washington, D.C. Academy for Education Development. 16op.
The National Association of social workers (NASW 1999) Washington, DC.
Ambrosino, R., Hefferman, J., and Shuttles Worth, E. (2005). Social work and Social Welfare, Brooks Cole Belmont, USA.
Barker, R. (1995). Social work Dictionary (3rd ed) Washington DC: National Association of social workers.
In-Text Citation: (Ngwu et al., 2014)
To Cite this Article: Ngwu, C. N., Ezeh, C. A., & Iyiani, C. (2014). Knowledge of Infant Nutrition among Mothers in Enugu State, South Eastern, Nigeria: Implications for Social Work Practice. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 3(1), 107–114.
Copyright: © 2014 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode