Exploring factors affecting mothers’ food choices at the start of complementary feeding in children 6-8 months

The proposed community-based research project will explore what factors influence mothers’ food choices when they plan meals for their children 6-8 months old in Faizabad district,Uttar Pradesh. Introducing a variety of soft, semi-solid and solid foods into a child’s diet, at 6-8 months of age, is critical to the child’s growth and development, preventing the onset of malnutrition. The World Health Organization recommends that children aged 6-8 months should eat 2-3 meals with foods from atleast 4 food groups in a day. In UP, the first food in a child’s diet is often a thin gruel of pulses or rice often heavily diluted with water and with small quantities of vegetables added as a relish depending on season and availability. These diets are very low in energy, proteins and vitamins and minerals, and are an important cause of reduced growth and poor immunity in children from 6 months- 2 years of age. The project will explore why mothers choose certain foods for their 6-8 month old children and who are the ‘influencers’ of these food choices in their household […]

Faculty Supervisor:

Deepa Sankaran

Student:

Partner:

Amity University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Public Service, Policy, and Governance

University:

University of Manitoba

Program: