Impact of Community Based Management of Acute Malnutrition Integrated Nutrition Education on Infant and Young Child Feeding Knowledge and Practice of Mothers or Caregivers in Dilla Zuria Woreda, Southern Ethiopia: A Quasi Experimental Study

Background: Adequate nutrition during infancy and early childhood is fundamental to the growth, health and development of each child’s to full human potential. Severe acute malnutrition(SAM) affects approximately 20 million children under five years of age, contributes to more than 1 million child deaths worldwide each year and being treated with community based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) program. So that this study aimed of assessing the effect of CMAM integrated nutrition education on infant and young child feeding (IYCF) knowledge and practice of mothers/caregivers. Method: A quasi experimental study design was employed on a total of 100 mother/caregivers and acutely malnourished child pairs enrolled in outpatient treatment program (OTP) of CMAM. A nutrition education intervention comprising 8 specific messages held twice a month for 6 continuous months. A pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect three phase (Baseline, Follow-up and End line) data. Collected data entered to SPSS and descriptive statistics was computed. Paired t-test and independent sample t-test were used to check within and between group change on mean knowledge and practice score of mothers/caregivers. Result: At the end of the intervention period mean knowledge score of mothers/caregivers was statistically significantly (p-value<0.001) improved within intervention group and between intervention and control group. At baseline (p-value=0.42) and follow up (p-value=0.44) between groups mean practice score of mothers/caregivers was not statistically significant different. Between group mean practice score comparison come up with statistically significant (p-value<0.001) difference. By the end of the study within group comparison for mean practice score showed significant difference both for intervention and control. Conclusion: IYCF focused nutrition education improved knowledge and practice of mothers/caregivers of children on medical and nutrition treatment. Further study can be done with large sample size, longer intervention period and more strong design to check consistency of result. Since mothers’/caregivers’ knowledge and practice of IYCF is crucial to sustain positive clinical outcomes of OTP management of acute malnutrition stakeholders better give due emphasis to mothers/care givers IYCF focused nutrition education in line with the clinical management.