Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
+32 25889658
ISSN: 2155-9600
+32 25889658
Salma Al Mahrouqi
Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
Accepted Abstracts: J Nutr Food Sci
Introduction: Inappropriate complementary feeding practices are a major contributor to poor nutrition status among children under two years. Encouraging and supporting appropriate complementary feeding practice by nurses is critical elements of efforts to address malnutrition in childhood. Nurses have probably a strong impact on mothers knowledge, known that their perspective knowledge have important implications for patient outcomes. This preliminary study was cared to assess nurses perspective knowledge nurses Perspective on complementary feeding practice which been recommended by the World Health Organization.
Methods: A convenience sampling of 25 female pediatric Omani nurses whom registered in Baby Friendly/ Infant Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFIF/HI) program at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, were interviewed to assess their knowledge on complementary feeding practice recommended by the WHO. The interview focused on 3 main aspects of the complementary feeding practices which includes: appropriate age, appropriate food, and the role of breast feeding during transition period.
Results: 25 female nurses from Sultan Qaboos University Hospital were enrolled in the study. A 73 % of study participants had never been exposed to the WHO complementary feeding practices guideline, only 27 % were knowledgeable about the recommended age of complementary feed. Almost 90 percent of the participants reported no clear knowledge about the appropriate type of food. Majority of the participants agreed on the continuation of breast feeding till age of 2 years.
Conclusions: The preliminary outcomes of this small scale study provide baseline information of the insufficient knowledge by nurses about complementary feeding practices. We suggest improving nurses’ access to the information about infant feeding guidelines since nurses are the main point of contact with mothers and pregnant women. However, a further comprehensive research is needed in a larger sample to generalize the outcomes.
Salma Al Mahrouqi is a dietitian from Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman. Has her expertise in pediatrics nutrition and is keen to improve the health and wellbeing of infants and children in the gulf and midleast region. She gain her expert in Infancy feeding through UNICEF training program (Programming for Infant and Young Child Feeding) in 2012. She is a BFHI( baby and infant friendly hospital initiative) co-instructor for the last 5 years.
E-mail: nutrition2002@hotmail.com