FACTORS AFFECTING KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF MOTHERS REFERRING TO HEALTH CENTERS FOR SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING OF THEIR 6-24 MONTH OLD CHILDREN

Abstract

A total of 250 mothers were interviewed in Kashan health centers in 1995 to obtain information on their Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (K.A.P) regarding supplementary feeding (SF) of their 6-24 month old children. The K, A and P regarding the kind of the first SF. were desirable in 29.2%, 72.8% and 31.6% of the mothers respectively. The corresponding percentages for the time of introduction of SF., the amount of the first SF, methods of feeding, and keeping left-over food were; 92.4% , 90.4% and 80.4% (K.A.P) ; 41.2%, 69.2% and 39.6% (K.A.P); 84.0%, 56.8% and 72.4% (K.A.P); and 100% , 97.2% and 97.2% (K.A.P); respectively. There was a statistically significant relation between the knowledge and attitude of mothers and mothers’ age and education; knowledge of mothers and occupation and their sources of information. The relation between K.A.P and all other independent variable were statistically nonsignificant, but there was a statistically significant relation between the mothers’ attitude and birth order of a child. There was no correlation between knowledge and attitude or between attitude and practice in general, but there was a significant correlation between knowledge and practice.