Participation in the "nutrition at the Centre" project through women's group improved exclusive breastfeeding practices, as measured by the deuterium oxide dose-to-mother technique.
Int Breastfeed J
; 15(1): 58, 2020 06 26.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-32590987
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Evidence of interventions that are effective in improving exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) practices is needed to help countries revise their strategies. To assess whether mothers who had participated in the Nutrition at the Centre (N@C) project effectively demonstrated better EBF practices than did those who did not participate, we documented the processes of this nutritional intervention in Benin.METHODS:
This study was a cross-sectional design comparing the intervention group, namely, the Village Saving and Loan Association (VSLA-N@C), to the control group. The N@C project was an educational intervention based on behavioural and social changes related to nutrition. Through VSLA groups installed in communities, mothers were connected to the project; had weekly discussions around the process, benefits and challenges linked to EBF, and advocated during Breastfeeding Week celebrations. The study participants were mothers with children aged 4-5.5 months from the VSLA-N@C group (n = 53) and mothers (n = 50) from non-intervention areas who served as controls. With the deuterium oxide dose-to-mother technique, we quantified human milk intake (HMI) and non-milk oral intake (NMOI) and compared both groups using Student's t-test. A child is considered to be exclusively breastfed if the NMOI is less than 86.6 g/day. Multivariate regression logistics adjusted for VSLA membership, mothers' body mass index, and children's age, weight-for-age and weight-for-length, thus enabling us to measure differences in EBF rates.RESULTS:
Children of mothers from the VSLA-N@C group consumed significantly more human milk than those of mothers in the control group (900.2 ± 152.5 g/day vs 842.2 ± 188.6 g/day, P = 0.044). Children in the VSLA-N@C group had significantly less non-milk oral intake than did those in the control group (difference 148.2 g/day, P = 0.000). Therefore, the EBF rate was significantly higher in the VSLA group (38% vs 8%, P < 0.0001), and mothers in VSLAs were 14 times more likely to practise EBF than were those in the control group (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 13.9, 95% CI 1.9-116.5, P = 0.015).CONCLUSION:
The EBF rate was significantly higher in the group of mothers who participated in the VSLA-N@C project than in those who did not receive the intervention. The N@C model could be promoted as a strategy for increasing EBF practices in poor and rural contexts, where it is possible to organize mothers into VSLA groups to discuss the process, benefits and challenges of EBF.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Aleitamento Materno
/
Alimentos Infantis
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Leite Humano
Tipo de estudo:
Observational_studies
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Prevalence_studies
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Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Adolescent
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Adult
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Child, preschool
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Female
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Humans
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Infant
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Male
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article