Abstract:
This study indicates the
possible association between maternal education and the complementary
feeding practices among representative sample of Pakistani mothers and
their infants. The research team claims this sample as representative
one, as the population of Islamabad is a heterogeneous group of people
settled in Federal capital. Mothers of five hundred infants, age ranging
from 6-12 month, visiting for immunization and various minor ailments
were selected through convenience sampling technique from the Outpatient
department of Paediatrics at Federal Government Services Hospital, Islamabad,.
The data was collected by the researchers with the help of a pre-tested
questionnaire, Tabulated and analyzed to find out possible association
between mother`s education and the prevalent complementary feeding practices.
A positive relationship was found between the nutritional status of
infants and educational status of mothers (P< 0.001). The study revealed
that the majority of Pakistani infants falling in various degrees of
malnutrition belonged to the uneducated mothers. Similar relationship
was observed between the educational status of respondents and the introduction
of complementary foods at an appropriate age (six months) of infants
(P< 0.001 It was noted that a high percentage of respondents (34.8%)
who introduced complementary foods to their infants at six months age
belonged to educated class. Similarly educated Pakistani mothers were
more aware of the appropriate frequency of complementary feeding in
every age group The study concludes that mother`s education play a vital
role in increasing receptivity to nutritional requirements of their
infants and improved complementary feeding practices.
Perveen Liaqat , Mazhar Abbas Rizvi , Abdul Qayyum , Hajra Ahmed and Nadia Ishtiaq , 2006. Maternal Education and Complementary Feeding . Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 5: 563-568.
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