Fish and complementary feeding practices for young children: Qualitative research findings from coastal Kenya

Tropical fishery nutrient production depends on biomass-based management

The need to enhance nutrient production from tropical ecosystems to feed the poor could potentially create a new framework for fisheries science and management. Early recommendations have included targeting small fishes and increasing the species richness of fish catches, which could represent a departure from more traditional approaches such as biomass-based management. To test these recommendations, we compared the outcomes of biomass-based management with hypothesized factors influencing nutrient density in nearshore artisanal fish catches in the Western Indian Ocean. We found that enhancing nutrient production depends primarily on achieving biomass-based targets. Catches dominated by low- and mid-trophic level species with smaller body sizes and faster turnover were associated with modest increases in nutrient densities, but the variability in nutrient density was small relative to human nutritional requirements. Therefore, tropical fishery management should focus on restoring biomass to achieve maximum yields and sustainability, particularly for herbivorous fishes.

Behavioural drivers of child feeding during and after illness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: results from a qualitative study through the lens of behavioural science

OBJECTIVE

For young children experiencing an illness, adequate nutrition is critical for recovery and to prevent malnutrition, yet many children do not receive the recommended quantities of food during illness and recuperation. Our research applied a behavioural science lens to identify drivers of feeding behaviours, including barriers inhibiting caregivers from following the feeding guidelines.

DESIGN

In 2021, we conducted qualitative research informed by the behavioural design process. Data from in-depth interviews and observations were analysed for themes.

SETTING

Research was conducted in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

PARTICIPANTS

Research participants included caregivers of young children, other family members, health workers and other community members.

RESULTS

Five key findings about behavioural drivers emerged: (1) poverty and scarcity impose practical constraints and a cognitive and emotional burden on caregivers; (2) health providers are distracted and discouraged from counselling on feeding during sick visits; (3) a focus on quality and hesitations about quantity obscure benefits of feeding greater amounts of available foods; (4) perceptions of inappropriate foods limit caregivers' choices; and (5) deference to a child's limited appetite leads to missed opportunities to encourage them to eat.

CONCLUSIONS

Each of these behavioural drivers is triggered by one or more addressable features in caregivers' and health workers' environment, suggesting concrete opportunities for programmes to support caregivers and health workers to improve feeding of young children during illness and recovery. In other settings where these features of the environment are similar, the insights and programming implications are likely to translate.

Factors influencing Tanzanian mothers' feeding practices for toddlers: A predictive correlational study

Background

Feeding practices are crucial in ensuring toddlers receive an appropriate and varied diet to support their growth and development. In Tanzania, maternal feeding practices for young children are inadequate, and there is limited research on the influencing factors.

Objective

This study aimed to examine the factors influencing Tanzanian mothers' feeding practices for toddlers, utilizing the health promotion model as the theoretical framework.

Methods

A predictive correlational design was employed, with a random sample of 399 mothers who brought their toddlers for health supervision at a tertiary care hospital in the United Republic of Tanzania. Data on personal information, depression, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, social support, situational influences, and maternal feeding practices were collected using self-administered questionnaires between September 2021 and November 2021. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple regression analysis were employed for the analysis.

Results

All the factors examined in the study accounted for 18.9% of the variance explained in maternal feeding practices. Significantly, only two factors, perceived self-efficacy (β = 0.32, p <0.001) and situational influences (β = 0.24, p <0.001), could predict maternal feeding practices.

Conclusion

Perceived self-efficacy and situational influences emerged as the primary influencing factors on maternal feeding practices for toddlers. Pediatric nurses should address these modifiable factors when developing nursing interventions and strategies to promote a healthy nutritional status in toddlers.

Sustainable aquatic food systems: Multisectoral analysis of determinants of child nutrition in coastal Kenya

Marine foods produced by small-scale fishers can make vital contributions to sustainable, healthy food systems with multisectoral considerations of public health nutrition, gender equity, economics, and marine ecology. This pilot study aimed to map the multidimensional determinants of fish food security and young child nutrition in four coastal communities of Kenya with a view toward designing a large intervention trial. We compared anthropometric and dietary diversity indicators of children under 5 years in fishing vs. non-fishing households. Mixed methods included household surveys, 24-h recalls for dietary intake, and anthropometric measures of children. Child dietary diversity score (CDDS) and height-for-age Z (HAZ) were primary outcomes tested in ordinary least square regression modeling. Stunting was widely prevalent (20.2%), as were morbidities for acute diarrhea (29.0%) and fever (46.5%), with no statistically significant differences in fishing compared to non-fishing households. High proportions of children showed nutrient intake inadequacies for vitamins A, C, and E, iron and zinc; &lt;50% met requirements for all nutrients except protein, which was derived primarily from plant-based foods. Regression modeling showed children living in fishing households were associated with lower CDDS. Maternal education, maternal body mass index (BMI), and household livelihood diversity were positively associated with both CDDS and HAZ, while child morbidities and north coast (of Mombasa) residence showed negative associations. Our findings highlight nutritional vulnerabilities within a coastal food system of Kenya and the need to involve multiple sectors—education, environment, health, finance, communications, and governance and policy—in deriving solutions.

Small pelagic fish supply abundant and affordable micronutrients to low- and middle-income countries

Wild-caught fish provide an irreplaceable source of essential nutrients in food-insecure places. Fishers catch thousands of species, yet the diversity of aquatic foods is often categorized homogeneously as 'fish', obscuring an understanding of which species supply affordable, nutritious and abundant food. Here, we use catch, economic and nutrient data on 2,348 species to identify the most affordable and nutritious fish in 39 low- and middle-income countries. We find that a 100 g portion of fish cost between 10 and 30% of the cheapest daily diet, with small pelagic fish (herring, sardine, anchovy) being the cheapest nutritious fish in 72% of countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, where nutrient deficiencies are rising, <20% of small pelagic catch would meet recommended dietary fish intakes for all children (6 months to 4 years old) living near to water bodies. Nutrition-sensitive policies that ensure local supplies and promote consumption of wild-caught fish could help address nutrient deficiencies in vulnerable populations.