OPTIMIZING EARLY CHILDHOOD NUTRITION: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS IN ILLERET WARD, MARSABIT COUNTY, KENYA
OPTIMIZING EARLY CHILDHOOD NUTRITION: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS IN ILLERET WARD, MARSABIT COUNTY, KENYA
Joy Igoki Njiru
A Doctor of Philosophy in Early Childhood Education student at the University of Nairobi
Professor Paul Odundo
Department of education, Early Childhood Education, University of Nairobi
ABSTRACT
In Kenya, particularly in arid areas, early child nutrition has remained a challenge especially in Marsabit County. Illeret ward, one of the administrative units of Marsabit County has reported the highest incidences of malnourishment especially in children classified in the early childhood status. This raise concerns on the role played by caregivers and parents in this County to optimize early childhood nutrition and the same has remained unclear and unexplored. Thus, this study sought to establish the effect of food diversity, nutrient dense foods, healthful eating and adequate hydration on early childhood nutrition as a comprehensive guide for parents and caregivers in Illeret Ward, Marsabit County, Kenya. Descriptive survey design was adopted targeting 900 mothers with children aged 1-8 from Illeret Ward, Marsabit County. Stratified random sampling was used to select 269 respondents with their respective gender as strata. Information in its primary form was gathered guided by questionnaire and the analysis was through SPSS guided by means correlation and regression and tables guided presentation. It was noted that nutrient dense foods (β=0.439) had the greatest positive effect on early childhood nutrition as a comprehensive guide for parents and caregivers in Illeret Ward, Marsabit County, Kenya then followed by food diversity (β=0.322), adequate hydration (β=0.198) and healthful eating (β=0.185) respectively. It was recommended that parents and caregivers in Illeret Ward, Marsabit County, Kenya should enhance early childhood nutrition by providing their children with foods having different nutritional contents. Different types of food being proteins, carbohydrates and fruits should be provided to children by caregivers and parents in Illeret Ward, Marsabit County, Kenya to create balanced diet and thus eliminating possibility of malnutrition. Adequate and healthful foods should be provided to children in Illeret Ward, Marsabit County, Kenya by their parents and caregivers to ensure healthful growth and development.
