Maternal Performance in Relation to Food Security among Infants Aged 1-2 Years

Background: In spite of increasing awareness about food security, countries are still dealing with food insecurity. The aim of this study was to evaluate maternal performance in relation to food security during the complementary feeding in Bushehr, Iran. Methods: : A cross-sectional study was carried out to select 400 mothers of children aged 1-2 years in Bushehr, using random quota sampling method. Data were collected using a localized reliable version of a 32-item food frequency questionnaire containing six subgroups (Cronbach's α: 0.81). Anthropometric indicators of height and weight were estimated in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Data analysis was performed using the Mean±SD, Median, Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, multinomial logistic regression, and odds ratio in SPSS, version 18. Results: : As a standard serving, only 24% of the mothers fed their infant cereals, whereas 54.8%, 36.3%, 39.8%, and 20.3% of the mothers provided meat, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products, respectively. The highest correlation was found between attendance at educational classes and vegetable consumption, age at the onset of complementary feeding and the consumption of meat and fruits, and maternal educational level and dairy products. No significant relationship was found between the food groups and anthropometric indicators. Conclusions: : Mothers in Bushehr performed poorly in providing a balanced diet. However, this performance can be improved by enhancing basic nutrition knowledge, holding practical education classes on food preparation, periodic evaluation of anthropometric indicators of infants, and by focusing on mothers with infants in high-risk groups (e.g., excessive weight, obesity, and malnutrition).