Qualitative Exploration of Health Professionals’ Perceptions of Addressing Malnutrition Within the First 1,000 Days

• Published in: Journal of nutrition education and behavior Vol. 56; no. 7; pp. 442 - 451
• Main Authors: Nyarko, Marian Joyce, ten Ham-Baloyi, Wilma, van Rooyen, Dalena (R. M.)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-07-2024
• Subjects: health care professional; infant nutrition; malnutrition; underresourced communities; infant nutrition; malnutrition; underresourced communities; health care professional
• ISSN: 1499-4046; 1878-2620; 1878-2620
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2024.03.010

Explore health professionals’ perceptions toward how to address malnutrition within the first 1,000 days of life in underresourced communities.
A qualitative explorative-descriptive study using 8 face-to-face focus group discussions.
Health facilities serving underresourced communities within Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.
Fifty-six health professionals (n = 13 doctors, n = 28 nurses, n = 6 dietitians, and n = 9 social workers) aged between 20 and 60 years, with 1–16 years (5 years average) of working experience. The majority (n = 53; 94.6%) were women.
Health professionals’ perceptions of effective methods or strategies to address malnutrition are referred to as undernutrition.
Content analysis.
Health professionals perceived socioeconomic conditions; caregiver lack of nutrition knowledge; and behavioral, cultural, and generational infant feeding practices as contributing factors to malnutrition. Participants recommended efforts to strengthen the availability, accessibility, and utilization of contraception, especially for teenagers, increase support to caretakers of children from families, health facilities, and communities, and a multisector and multidisciplinary approach to improve social determinants of health in underresourced communities.
To address malnutrition within the first 1,000 days of life, data supports that health professionals in underresourced communities require a multisector, multidisciplinary approach. This approach entails educational interventions, peer mentoring and community empowerment through support to and involvement of caregivers of children.