No abstract

Objective: The objectives of this study were to document feeding practices amongst rural Senegalese children aged 6 to 23 months, and to investigate psychosocial and environmental factors associated with the provision of iron-rich foods (IRF). Design: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from January through July 2018. Participants: Ninety-eight mothers of children aged 6-23 months. Setting: The study took place in the region of Matam, northern Senegal. Results: Results show that 27.6% of children were fed according to the minimum acceptable diet, and respectively, 55.1% and 53.1% had the minimum diet diversity and minimum meal frequency. About 65.3% of mothers provided IRF to young children the day before the survey, mostly fish. Mother‘s intention to provide IRF to their children was not associated with the provision of these foods neither was the perceived behavioural control. Child’s age (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.03 - 1.26, p = 0.012) and household food insecurity score (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.68 - 0.96, p = 0.014) were the predictors of the provision of IRF to children aged 6-23 months. Conclusions: Household food insecurity status and age of the child rather than mothers’ psychosocial factors were significant predictors of IRF consumption amongst children aged 6-23 months in the study area. More attention should be given to food environment and child-related factors in order to improve children feeding practices and, in particular, their consumption of IRF in the study setting. For instance, home visits and the 5-month-old vaccine consultation in health centers might be opportunities to reinforce the importance of providing IRF as part of complementary foods from the age of 6 months. Implementation of measures for the improvement of socioeconomic conditions and food security of households would also be valuable.

In Senegal, only 43% of children aged 6-23 months are provided with iron-rich foods (IRF). Assessing determinants of mothers’ behaviour is imperative to improve young children nutrition. We developed a validated questionnaire and used it to assess psychosocial factors of mothers' intention to provide IRF to their children aged 6-23 months in the Matam area, Senegal. Using the planned behaviour theory, the first version of a questionnaire was developed and administered to 120 mothers. Exploratory factorial analyses (EFA) were used to generate a shorter and validated final version of the questionnaire, administered to another sample (N=100) of mothers to assess psychosocial factors underlying their intention to provide IRF to children. EFA revealed the importance of perceived benefits mothers have for the health/welfare of their children if providing them IRF, about acting according to expectations of persons in their surroundings and limited access to IRF due to physical/financial constraints. Attitude (β=0.26, p = 0.015) and subjective norm (β = 0.22, p = 0.047) were positively associated with mothers’ intention to provide IRF to their children. Together with sociodemographic variables, they explained 14% of its variance. Our findings revealed that mothers have a strong intention to provide IRF to their children. Although further assessments of this questionnaire are warranted in other contexts, this tool could provide information on potential determinants of mothers’ intention to provide IRF to children.