Health facility-based counselling and community outreach are associated with maternal dietary practices in a cross-sectional study from Tanzania
Abstract Background Anemia and underweight among women are major public health challenges. Access to health services can improve dietary behaviors and women’s nutritional status. We examined whether exposure to health services is associated with women’s dietary practices in Tanzania. Methods Data co...
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doaj-1da65bd78d354f4daeea1cf4e8d6af282021-08-22T11:18:23ZengBMCBMC Nutrition2055-09282021-08-017111110.1186/s40795-021-00447-xHealth facility-based counselling and community outreach are associated with maternal dietary practices in a cross-sectional study from TanzaniaKirk A. Dearden0Ramu Bishwakarma1Benjamin T. Crookston2Benesta T. Masau3Generose I. Mulokozi4IMA World Health/Corus InternationalLutheran World Relief/Corus InternationalDepartment of Health Science, Brigham Young UniversityIMA World HealthIMA World HealthAbstract Background Anemia and underweight among women are major public health challenges. Access to health services can improve dietary behaviors and women’s nutritional status. We examined whether exposure to health services is associated with women’s dietary practices in Tanzania. Methods Data come from a cross-sectional baseline survey among 5000 female primary caregivers who were randomly selected via two-stage sampling, prior to implementing a maternal and child nutrition program. We ran frequencies on women’s exposure to existing health facility-based counselling, community health worker visits, and attendance at women’s support groups. We examined associations between exposure to these interventions and maternal diets and adjusted for sociodemographic covariates using ordinary least squares regression and ordered logistic regression. Results A third of the sample (34.1%) had received any antenatal care (ANC) during their most recent pregnancy or had been advised by anyone about nutrition (37.0%). 68.0% had never had a community health worker (CHW) speak to them about their children’s health and 9.4% had participated in a women’s group. Only 8.0% of mothers ate more than usual during pregnancy and 7.1% ate more types of foods. After adjusting for mother’s age, education and household assets, women who received nutrition advice were 1.3 times (95% CI: 1.1, 1.7) more likely than mothers who did not to eat more during pregnancy. Receiving antenatal care (ANC) and advice on nutrition before, during, and after pregnancy and delivery were highly associated with the mother eating more types of foods. Hearing from a CHW about children’s health but not support group attendance was often associated with various dietary practices. Almost all measures of access to health services were significantly associated with mothers’ frequency of eating in the previous 24 h. Receiving advice on nutrition during pregnancy and after giving birth and CHW contact were associated with mothers’ dietary diversity in the previous 24 h. Conclusions Several program exposure variables—especially being counselled about nutrition—were associated with improved dietary practices. Improving service delivery at scale may contribute to improved dietary behaviors in larger populations, given the associations we describe, along with findings from the existing literature.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-021-00447-xMaternalDietary practicesTanzaniaCounsellingInterpersonal communicationCommunity health worker |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Kirk A. Dearden Ramu Bishwakarma Benjamin T. Crookston Benesta T. Masau Generose I. Mulokozi |
spellingShingle |
Kirk A. Dearden Ramu Bishwakarma Benjamin T. Crookston Benesta T. Masau Generose I. Mulokozi Health facility-based counselling and community outreach are associated with maternal dietary practices in a cross-sectional study from Tanzania BMC Nutrition Maternal Dietary practices Tanzania Counselling Interpersonal communication Community health worker |
author_facet |
Kirk A. Dearden Ramu Bishwakarma Benjamin T. Crookston Benesta T. Masau Generose I. Mulokozi |
author_sort |
Kirk A. Dearden |
title |
Health facility-based counselling and community outreach are associated with maternal dietary practices in a cross-sectional study from Tanzania |
title_short |
Health facility-based counselling and community outreach are associated with maternal dietary practices in a cross-sectional study from Tanzania |
title_full |
Health facility-based counselling and community outreach are associated with maternal dietary practices in a cross-sectional study from Tanzania |
title_fullStr |
Health facility-based counselling and community outreach are associated with maternal dietary practices in a cross-sectional study from Tanzania |
title_full_unstemmed |
Health facility-based counselling and community outreach are associated with maternal dietary practices in a cross-sectional study from Tanzania |
title_sort |
health facility-based counselling and community outreach are associated with maternal dietary practices in a cross-sectional study from tanzania |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
BMC Nutrition |
issn |
2055-0928 |
publishDate |
2021-08-01 |
description |
Abstract Background Anemia and underweight among women are major public health challenges. Access to health services can improve dietary behaviors and women’s nutritional status. We examined whether exposure to health services is associated with women’s dietary practices in Tanzania. Methods Data come from a cross-sectional baseline survey among 5000 female primary caregivers who were randomly selected via two-stage sampling, prior to implementing a maternal and child nutrition program. We ran frequencies on women’s exposure to existing health facility-based counselling, community health worker visits, and attendance at women’s support groups. We examined associations between exposure to these interventions and maternal diets and adjusted for sociodemographic covariates using ordinary least squares regression and ordered logistic regression. Results A third of the sample (34.1%) had received any antenatal care (ANC) during their most recent pregnancy or had been advised by anyone about nutrition (37.0%). 68.0% had never had a community health worker (CHW) speak to them about their children’s health and 9.4% had participated in a women’s group. Only 8.0% of mothers ate more than usual during pregnancy and 7.1% ate more types of foods. After adjusting for mother’s age, education and household assets, women who received nutrition advice were 1.3 times (95% CI: 1.1, 1.7) more likely than mothers who did not to eat more during pregnancy. Receiving antenatal care (ANC) and advice on nutrition before, during, and after pregnancy and delivery were highly associated with the mother eating more types of foods. Hearing from a CHW about children’s health but not support group attendance was often associated with various dietary practices. Almost all measures of access to health services were significantly associated with mothers’ frequency of eating in the previous 24 h. Receiving advice on nutrition during pregnancy and after giving birth and CHW contact were associated with mothers’ dietary diversity in the previous 24 h. Conclusions Several program exposure variables—especially being counselled about nutrition—were associated with improved dietary practices. Improving service delivery at scale may contribute to improved dietary behaviors in larger populations, given the associations we describe, along with findings from the existing literature. |
topic |
Maternal Dietary practices Tanzania Counselling Interpersonal communication Community health worker |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40795-021-00447-x |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT kirkadearden healthfacilitybasedcounsellingandcommunityoutreachareassociatedwithmaternaldietarypracticesinacrosssectionalstudyfromtanzania AT ramubishwakarma healthfacilitybasedcounsellingandcommunityoutreachareassociatedwithmaternaldietarypracticesinacrosssectionalstudyfromtanzania AT benjamintcrookston healthfacilitybasedcounsellingandcommunityoutreachareassociatedwithmaternaldietarypracticesinacrosssectionalstudyfromtanzania AT benestatmasau healthfacilitybasedcounsellingandcommunityoutreachareassociatedwithmaternaldietarypracticesinacrosssectionalstudyfromtanzania AT generoseimulokozi healthfacilitybasedcounsellingandcommunityoutreachareassociatedwithmaternaldietarypracticesinacrosssectionalstudyfromtanzania |
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