Investigating the correlations between nutrition literacy of mothers and offspring physical growth and development, dietary diversity and quality, and vitamin levels.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the relationship between nutrition literacy (NL) of mothers and physical growth and development, dietary diversity and quality, and vitamin levels of their children aged 24-59 months.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted at well-child outpatient clinic. Eighty-eight mother-child pairs included. Mother's Evaluation Instrument of Nutrition Literacy for Adults (EINLA) scores and child anthropometric z-scores, age when reaching six gross motor milestones, dietary diversity and the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index scores, and serum vitamin A, B1, B2, B12, C, D, and E levels were measured. Two independent groups comparison statistics and Spearman rank correlations were performed.

Results: Thirty-four mothers (38.6%) had borderline and 54 mothers (61.4%) had adequate NL level. The percentages of wasted and acutely malnourished children were higher in the borderline NL group (17.6% vs. 1.9%, p=0.005 and 14.7% vs. 1.9%, p=0.030, respectively). There was no significant correlation between maternal EINLA score and child motor skill acquisition, dietary diversity, or serum vitamin status (p>0.05). There was a correlation between maternal EINLA score and child dietary quality score (r=0.218, p=0.041).

Conclusion: Increasing NL of mothers may be a step toward improving the dietary quality of children and reducing the burden of child undernutrition.