Dietary Intake and Nutrition Knowledge of Vitamin A and Iron among Lactating Teenagers in Referral Hospitals in Kisumu County, Kenya
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Date
2024-06
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Vitamin A and iron are essential micronutrients during lactation and deficiencies could have adverse health consequences for teenage mothers. Teenage pregnancy is a major health issue facing youth in Kisumu County. This population is faced with increased dietary intake of processed foods and rising prices for fresh, nutrient-dense foods. Kenya lacks adolescent-specific data in its National Health Information Management Systems, which makes it difficult to track micronutrient status of teenagers. The aim of this study was to assess the dietary intake and nutrition knowledge of vitamin A and iron among lactating teenage mothers aged 14-19 years in Kisumu County. A cross-sectional analytical study design was adopted and data was collected on a sample of 104 respondents. A questionnaire was used to gather information on the maternal demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the mothers. Nutri-Survey software was used to analyze dietary intake data from the 24-hour dietary recall and 7-day food frequency questionnaire. Data for both descriptive and inferential statistics was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. In the data analyses, a P-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. About a third (61.5%) of the mothers had inadequate dietary intake of vitamin while almost half (51.9%) of the them had inadequate consumption of iron rich foods. About a half (48.1%) and (53.2%) of the teenage mothers were found to have moderate nutritional knowledge on vitamin A and iron consumption, respectively. A Chi-square test revealed that nutrition education/counseling (P=0.001) and household income per month had a positive correlation (P=0.04) with iron intake. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between dietary diversity and vitamin A intake (P=0.02) and dietary diversity and iron intake (P=0.04). The study has shown that inadequate dietary intake of vitamin A and iron is a health concern among lactating teenagers despite most of them having moderate nutrition knowledge on the micronutrients. This is mainly due to low and medium IDDS as influenced by low household income. This study recommends interventions that focus on food preparation and meal selection for lactating teenagers and advocacy for income generating activities that are built around keeping teenagers in school.
Description
A Research Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award for the Degree of Master of Science in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics at the School of Health Sciences of Kenyatta University, June 2024.
Supervisor
1. Regina Kamuhu
2. Judith Kimiywe