Peer-reviewed article
Unveiling Dietary Patterns among children aged 6-23 months: A Framework Analysis for perspectives in Chinyunyu Community, Rufunsa District, Zambia
Priscilla Funduluka, Mercy Mukuma, Regina Murphy Keith, Phoebe Albina Bwembya, N. Mwila et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This qualitative study looked at what children aged 6 to 23 months eat, and why, in Chinyunyu, a drought-prone community in Rufunsa District, Zambia. It drew on Photovoice and focus group discussions with women and mothers-in-law, and on interviews with husbands and community leaders. Caregivers said they knew the recommended feeding practices, but poverty, limited decision-making power for mothers and heavy workloads made it hard to follow them. Children's diets were mostly cereal porridges with groundnuts, sugar or salt, and groundnuts were the main protein source. The authors suggest empowering women, improving livelihoods and promoting affordable, varied foods, including legumes other than groundnuts.
Key points
- Caregivers generally described awareness of recommended feeding practices.
- Poverty, limited maternal decision-making power and heavy workloads were perceived to limit adherence to recommendations.
- Diets were dominated by cereal-based porridges prepared with groundnuts, sugar or salt.
- Groundnuts were reported as the main protein source, and reliance on them may have limited dietary diversity.
- Growing dependence on commercial foods was perceived to undermine optimal complementary feeding.
Limitations
The findings come from the perceptions and reports of a small group of participants in one drought-prone ward, so they cannot show how common these practices are or be generalised to other areas. The document does not measure children's actual intake or nutritional status.
Abstract
Introduction: Appropriate complementary feeding from 6–23 months is essential for child growth and development, yet dietary diversity remains inadequate in many resource-constrained settings. Understanding contextual influences on feeding practices is important for improving child nutrition. Objective: This study examined qualitative evidence to identify dietary patterns and factors shaping complementary feeding among children aged 6–23 months in Chinyunyu, Rufunsa District, Zambia. Methods: This Framework Analysis applied Gale et al. (2013) and the WHO Infant and Young Child Feeding framework to interpret qualitative data. The study was conducted in drought-prone Chinyunyu Ward, Rufunsa District, Zambia. Participants included 24 women aged 18–49 years with a child under two years and seven mothers-in-law who participated in Photovoice and focus group discussions, alongside three husbands and four community leaders who participated in in-depth interviews. Results: Caregivers generally described awareness of recommended feeding practices; however, poverty, limited maternal decision-making power, and heavy workloads were perceived to constrain adherence. Diets cited were dominated by cereal-based porridges prepared with groundnuts, sugar, or salt. Groundnuts were reported as the main protein source, and reliance on them may have limited dietary diversity. Furthermore, increasing dependence on commercial foods was also perceived to undermine optimal complementary feeding. Conclusions: Despite awareness of recommended feeding practices, poverty, gendered resource control, and heavy workloads were reported to constrain adherence to WHO recommendations. Empowering women, improving livelihoods, and promoting affordable dietary diversity, including legumes beyond groundnuts, may strengthen complementary feeding and child nutrition.