“Conocimiento y práctica sobre la lactancia materna y alimentación complementaria, en madres de niños menores de 2 años en las parroquias orientales del cantón Azogues. Enero- abril 2023”

Abstract

Breastfeeding is the primary nutritional requirement for optimal growth and development in children. Complementary feeding is a process that begins during the first year of life when foods are introduced as a complement to breast milk or formula. Objective: To determine the level of knowledge and practice of breastfeeding and complementary feeding in mothers of children under two years of age in the eastern parishes of Azogues Canton from October 2022- April 2023. Methods: A descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional, and field study, the instrument used for the collection of information was the questionnaire developed with a content validity by Aiken test for the questionnaire of 0.833, with the reliability of Cronbach's Alpha (α= 0.852) and attitude test (α= 0.890); with high reliability. Results: Among the sociodemographic characteristics of the study population, 57.6% were housewives, 62.2%, were married, and 53.1% had completed secondary schooling. Breastfeeding was reported at a moderate acceptability level of 97.7%. Knowledge was high at 76.0%. Knowledge and practice of complementary feeding were low, with rates of 75.2% and 91.6%, respectively. Conclusion: Mothers of children under two years of age in the eastern parishes of Azogues Canton have a medium level of practice and high breastfeeding knowledge. However, knowledge and practice of complementary feeding were found to be low.