Maternal and paternal involvement in complementary feeding in Kaduna State, Nigeria: The continuum of gender roles in urban and rural settings. Issue 2 (25th January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Allotey, Diana; Flax, Valerie L.; Ipadeola, Abiodun; Kwasu, Sarah; Bentley, Margaret E.; Worku, Beamlak; Kalluru, Keerti; Valle, Carmina G.; Bose, Sujata; Martin, Stephanie L.
• Is Part Of: Maternal and child nutrition. Volume 18:Issue 2(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-01-25
• Subjects: caregivers -- child -- fathers -- focus groups -- gender role -- mothers -- Nigeria; Children -- Nutrition -- Periodicals; Infants -- Nutrition -- Periodicals; Pregnancy -- Nutritional aspects -- Periodicals; Breastfeeding -- Periodicals; 363.8083
• DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13325
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1740-8695

Abstract

Abstract: Household gender roles influence infant and young child feeding behaviours and may contribute to suboptimal complementary feeding practices through inequitable household decision‐making, intra‐household food allocation and limited paternal support for resources and caregiving. In Igabi local government area of Kaduna State, Nigeria, the Alive & Thrive (A&T) initiative implemented an intervention to improve complementary feeding practices through father engagement. This study describes household gender roles among A&T participants and how they influence maternal and paternal involvement in complementary feeding. We conducted 16 focus group discussions with mothers and fathers of children aged 6–23 months in urban and rural administrative wards and analysed them using qualitative thematic analysis methods. Most mothers and fathers have traditional roles with fathers as 'providers' and 'supervisors' and mothers as 'caregivers'. Traditional normative roles of fathers limit their involvement in 'hands‐on' activities, which support feeding and caring for children. Less traditional normative roles, whereby some mothers contributed to the provision of resources and some fathers contributed to caregiving, were also described by some participants and were more salient in the urban wards. In the rural wards, more fathers expressed resistance to fathers playing less traditional roles. Fathers who participated in caregiving tasks reported respect from their children, strong family relationships and had healthy home environments. Our research findings point to the need for more context‐specific approaches that address prevalent gender normative roles in complementary feeding in a variety of settings. Key messages: Some mothers and fathers still hold traditional attitudes about their roles in feeding and caring for children. Traditional gender normative roles of fathers limit their involvement in the 'hands‐on' activities that support feeding and caring for children. Some mothers and fathers are performing 'non‐traditional' gender normative roles despite social disapproval. The shifts from the traditional roles of mothers and fathers are more salient in urban compared with rural wards.