Peer-reviewed article
Dietary diversity and maternal perspectives of indigenous food consumption among infants in Kitui county, Kenya
Jane Mbijiwe, Dickens Omondi ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5This study looked at what mothers in Kitui County, Kenya think about traditional indigenous foods and how this relates to how varied their infants' diets are. Researchers surveyed 402 mothers with infants aged 6 to 23 months. They found that infant diets were not very varied, and most mothers saw indigenous foods as too expensive, hard to find, or difficult to prepare, even though many believed these foods were healthy. The study suggests that helping families grow and access these foods more easily, and teaching mothers how to cook with them, could improve infant nutrition.
Key points
- Average dietary diversity score for infants was low at 2.47, with only 30.3% eating more than four food groups in the past 24 hours
- 94.5% of mothers considered indigenous foods expensive
- 59.2% of mothers perceived indigenous foods as nutritious or healthy
- Only 4.7% said indigenous foods were readily available and 17.4% said they were easy to prepare
- Dietary diversity was significantly linked to infant acceptance, perceived nutrition benefit, availability, and ease of preparation of indigenous foods
Limitations
The cross-sectional design shows associations at one point in time but cannot prove that maternal perceptions cause changes in dietary diversity, and the findings are specific to Kitui County so may not apply elsewhere.
Abstract
Inroduction Maternal perceptions of indigenous foods and dietary diversity are crucial in shaping infant nutrition and preserving cultural food practices. Addressing these perspectives is vital to overcoming local nutritional challenges. This study investigated mothers’ perception on indigenous foods and their inclusion in the diets of infants aged 6 to 23 months in Kitui County, Kenya. Study also, examined the association between infants’ dietary diversity and maternal perceptions on indigenous foods. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 402 infant-mother pairs were enrolled. Dietary diversity was assessed using a dietary diversity questionnaire. Mothers provided insights into their perceptions regarding indigenous foods. Results and discussion The average dietary diversity score for the infants was low at 2.47 ± 0.02, with only 30.3% consuming more than four food groups in the past 24 h. About 36.6% of mothers reported that their infants accepted/liked indigenous foods whereas 94.5% considered them expensive, 59.2% perceived them as nutritious/health. Additionally, only 4.7 and 17.4% of mothers indicated that indigenous foods were readily available and easy to prepare, respectively. Dietary diversity was significantly associated with infant acceptance of indigenous food ( p = 0.021), perceived nutrition/health benefit ( p < 0.001), availability ( p = 0.016) and ease of preparation ( p < 0.001). Key predictors of indigenous food consumption included infants’ acceptance of the foods, affordability, perceived nutritional benefits, availability, and ease of preparation. Multi-level interventions targeting food production, intrahousehold food security, and maternal nutrition behaviors, such as providing appropriate recipes, cooking training, and demonstrations, could promote the consumption of nutrient-rich indigenous foods. Enhancing the accessibility and availability of these foods is crucial. This can be achieved by supplying quality seeds, climate-resilient livestock breeds, essential farm inputs, water harvesting technologies, and providing extension support services. These measures could bolster indigenous food production and intake, thereby improving infant nutrition.