Assessment of Knowledge on Weaning among Mothers of Urban Slum

Abstract

Background: Today’s children are the wealth of tomorrow. They are regarded as the future citizens of the nation. Every child has the right to have a healthy growth. Hence it is essential to nurture them to strive for their well being. Infancy is a period where rapid growth and development takes place.  To attain this, the child requires good nutrition. As the child grows, the demand of nutrients increases. Insufficiency in the dietary intake may lead to poor growth and development and results in various physical, social and psychological problems later. Aim: The study aim to assess the level of knowledge on weaning among mothers of selected urban slum. Method: A descriptive approach was used to collect data from 50 mothers, selected by purposive sampling technique in a selected Urban Slum, to assess the level of knowledge on weaning among mothers. Data were collected by using structured interview schedule. Results: Results reveals that highest percentage of (40.4% SD=3.49) of mothers had average knowledge. Conclusion: This study results revealed that there is  a deficiency in knowledge of mothers on weaning, and There is a need for health care system interventions, family interventions, and public health education campaigns to promote optimal practice of weaning, especially in less educated women.