Joint Decision Making on Child Feeding in Rural Ethiopia
Author Information
Author(s): Fikadu Kassahun, Takele Abinet, Tesfaye Biruk, Abebo Zeleke Hailemariam
Primary Institution: College of Medicine and Health Science, Arba Minch University, Ethiopia
Hypothesis
Improving joint intra-household decision-making by spouses can enhance child-feeding practices.
Conclusion
Joint decision-making regarding child feeding in rural southern Ethiopia is satisfactory, influenced by maternal education, husband involvement, mother's age, and number of children.
Supporting Evidence
- 69.2% of decision-making regarding child feeding was jointly decided by spouses.
- Women with formal education were 1.84 times more likely to engage in joint decision-making.
- Husbands' involvement in child feeding increased joint decision-making by 2.23 times.
- Women aged 25-34 years were 1.57 times more likely to participate in decision-making.
- Women with fewer than four children were 1.51 times more likely to engage in joint decision-making.
Takeaway
When both parents work together to decide how to feed their children, it helps the kids eat better. Educated moms and involved dads make this happen more often.
Methodology
A mixed-method study using quantitative data from 1,479 women and qualitative data from focus groups and key informants.
Potential Biases
Social desirability bias may affect self-reported responses.
Limitations
Findings may not be generalizable to urban settings and are based on self-reported data, which could introduce bias.
Participant Demographics
Participants were married women aged 15-49 with children aged 6-23 months, primarily from rural districts in southern Ethiopia.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 1.37–2.46
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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