Feeding Practices of Mothers and Nutritional Status of Under Five Children: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition, including underweight, stunting, and wasting, remains a pressing public health issue in Nigeria, contributing to over one-third of child mortality. Suboptimal complementary feeding practices and sociodemographic disparities exacerbate this burden, particularly among infants aged 6-59 months. This study aims to investigate the association between maternal working status, infant feeding practices and nutritional outcomes among infants.

Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 mothers (125 working and 125 non-working) in Dadin Kowa, Jos South LGA, Plateau State and they were selected using multistage sampling. Data were collected via structured interviewer-administered questionnaires and anthropometric measurements were analyzed using SPSS version 25, with p ≤ 0.05 considered significant at 95% confidence interval.

Results: Infants of non-working mothers showed higher rates of underweight (16.8% vs. 11.2%), stunting (12.8% vs. 7.2%), and wasting (20.8% vs. 13.6%) compared to those of working mothers. Suboptimal feeding practices, including low meal frequency and dietary diversity, were more prevalent among non-working mothers, correlating with poorer nutritional outcomes. Hand washing was more frequent among non-working mothers (61.6% vs. 57.6%), but did not fully mitigate malnutrition risks.

Conclusion: Maternal working status influences infant nutritional status, mediated by feeding practices and hygiene. Targeted interventions to enhance maternal education, promote consistent hand washing, and improve complementary feeding are essential.