Knowledge and Practices of Mothers’ regarding Weaning of Children and their Relation with Socioeconomic Variables in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Weaning refers to transitioning an infant’s diet from breast milk or formula to other foods and fluids. When the infant stops receiving breast milk, it is considered fully weaned. Aims: To assess the knowledge, and practices of mothers on child weaning in the Aseer region. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 189 mothers in Aseer Region, using a self-administered online questionnaire. Results: Nearly two-thirds of the participants were aware of the terms: weaning, diet, or complementary food (65.1%). Most of the participants (87.3%) knew the nutritional requirements for weaning their infants. There was a non-significant relationship between knowledge of mothers and their sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., their level of education, and socioeconomic condition). More than two-thirds of theparticipants (71.4%) preferred breastfeeding their children associated with semi-solid food during the 6– 9-month period. The majority of the participants (74.6%) initiated weaning with thin-consistency food. There was a significant relationship between the reason for supplementary feeding before six months and mothers’ socioeconomic condition (P <0.05). Conclusions: Mothers’ knowledge and practices were good. There were no significant relationships between mothers’ knowledge level with weaning and socioeconomic characteristics. There was a significant relationship between the reason for supplementary feeding before six months and the socioeconomic condition. Keywords: Knowledge, practice, mothers, weaning, Aseer region, Saudi Arabia.