Effects of Primary Caregivers’ Feeding Habits on the Nutrition Status of Pre-schoolers in Rupandehi District of Nepal

Abstract

Healthy food habits of primary caregivers may contribute to the overall growth, development, and optimal health of the ppreschoolers. This quantitative research aimed to examine the impact of the feeding practices of caregivers on nutritional status of 384 preschoolers (aged 36-71 months) in Rupandehi District of Nepal. The effects of feeding habit were compared with the nutritional status and thus the impact was examined. Information regarding socio-economic standing, demographics, feeding habits, and children’s nutrition statuses were collected through direct interviews and anthropometric measurement. The nutritional status of the children, including height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-height (WAZ), and BMI-for-age z-scores (BAZ), was assessed using WHO Anthro, WHO Anthro Plus, and SPSS version 26 software. Statistical analysis involved Chi-square tests and logistic regression with a significance threshold established at p<0.05. The finding indicates that 44.5% of preschoolers had normal nutrition status, whereas 38.8% received sufficient feeding practices from their caregivers. Feeding habits, economic status, fathers' occupation, and family structure appeared as significant predictors of preschoolers’ nutrition status. Preschoolers from economically marginalized backgrounds, with fathers in business occupations, and living in joint families were found to be at higher risk of poor nutrition. The findings imply that implementing feeding habit interventions to the children of lower economic backgrounds is desirable to bring the changes in their nutritional status. So, some nutritional strategies should be taken into consideration to take care of the children who are in joint families and whose parents could not give more time due to their occupation.