ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: To assess effects of a nutritional education program on improving mothers' undernutrition knowledge, self-efficacy, and complementary feeding practices, and reducing undernutrition in children aged <2 years. METHOD: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at a community healthcare center in Indonesia. The intervention group participated in a 4-week nutritional education program; the control group received standard care (n = 80; 1:1 ratio). Measurements consisted of mothers' knowledge of undernutrition, self-efficacy, and complementary feeding practices, and children's anthropometric indicators. RESULTS: Intervention group mothers improved their understanding of undernutrition, self-efficacy, and complementary feeding practices compared to the control group. Additionally, children in the intervention group exhibited increased mean Z-scores for stunting, wasting, and being underweight at 12 and 24 weeks following the intervention. DISCUSSION: Healthcare professionals can regularly provide nutritional education programs related to managing undernutrition and complementary feeding practices for mothers with children aged <2 years to prevent and improve undernutrition.
Subject(s)
Health Education , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Malnutrition , Mothers , Humans , Indonesia/epidemiology , Infant , Female , Mothers/education , Mothers/statistics & numerical data , Health Education/methods , Male , Malnutrition/prevention & control , Malnutrition/epidemiology , Adult , Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Self Efficacy , Child, Preschool , Child Nutrition Disorders/prevention & control , Child Nutrition Disorders/epidemiologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis was conducted to examine the association between breastfeeding and undernutrition among children under 5 years of age in developing countries. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted of datasets from Embase, CINHAL, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Indonesian databases to include eligible studies. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.0 statistical software was used to perform data entry and data analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted from each study or were calculated based on the reported number of cases and controls in each study. Random-effects models or fixed-effects models were used to demonstrate overall risk estimates. A moderator analysis was conducted to examine possible moderators explaining the heterogeneity across studies. FINDINGS: In total, 33 studies were included which examined the association of breastfeeding with undernutrition. A random-effects model showed that breastfeeding had inverse correlations with overall undernutrition (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.68, 0.99) and the stunting type of undernutrition (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.55, 0.95). A moderator analysis showed that studies which included exclusive breastfeeding and unclear birth weights had low risks of overall undernutrition (p < 0.05). Moreover, studies which included exclusive breastfeeding and adopted a case-control study design exhibited a low risk of the stunting type of undernutrition (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Providing breastfeeding or exclusive breastfeeding can benefit children under 5 years of age in developing countries reduce overall undernutrition and the stunting type of undernutrition. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Healthcare professionals should develop and implement suitable strategies to increase awareness regarding the importance of breastfeeding and enhance breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding adherence.
