title: Nutritional habits of mothers and children in the age group 0-4 years in Iran.
abstract: Maternal education and attitudes and practices can significantly be associated with the child's nutritional outcomes. Our goal was to find out patterns among mothers and children in the context of beliefs, knowledge and cultural practices of Iranian mothers. This research provides primary descriptive statistical data. To administer the interviews, five hospitals in Tehran, Iran (operating in mother and child medical services) were selected. 190 mothers and their children were selected for the study. Forty seven mothers (24.7%) were giving cow milk, while 92 (48.4 %) were giving powdered milk and milk itself 49 remaining (25.8%) gave a mixture of breast and cow milk to their children below one year. The anthropometric results in majority of the children fell under Grade-I and Grade-II undernourished category, and that the prevalence of under-nutrition was more obvious in lower age group children. A majority of the children were undernourished. Poor quality and inadequacy of food intake, economy below subsistence level and poor income, and seasonal food shortage were known to cause under-nutrition. Numerous factors, such as social, economic, regional, ethnical, religious, and superstition affect the mother and child.
authors.affiliation: a Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Noughani
authors.forename: Masoumeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bagheri
authors.forename: Tayeb
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ramim
mesh_terms: D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: nutrition; nutritional habits; pediatric; undernourished