Healthcare Workers’ Perceptions on Dietary Counselling and the Inclusion of a Food Atlas in Dietary Counselling
Muraguri, Mary (2022)
Muraguri, Mary
2022
All rights reserved. This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022060615899
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022060615899
Tiivistelmä
The aim of this thesis was to understand the role of dietary counselling in reducing the double burden of malnutrition in women of reproductive age and young children aged 6-23 months in Kenya. The main objective was to explore dietary counselling and its provision to both women and young children. The second objective was to explore how a photographic food atlas may be included in dietary counselling. Recommendations on how these objectives may be achieved were presented. The thesis was completed in collaboration with the InnoFood Africa project in Kenya.
A qualitative approach was applied in this study. Thematic interviews with open ended questions were used to collect data from healthcare workers working in Kahawa West public health center in Nairobi, Kenya. Healthcare workers’ perceptions on dietary counselling and the inclusion of a photographic food atlas in dietary counselling were explored. Six healthcare workers participated in the study. Thematic analysis was applied and an inductive approach used to develop themes.
The results were organized into four themes including nutritional knowledge and support, inclusion of a photographic food atlas in dietary counselling, challenges to provision and uptake of dietary counselling and driving factors to provision and uptake of dietary counselling. The study findings indicated the importance of dietary counselling in creating awareness on nutrition, offering guidance on proper dietary habits and minimizing disease risks. The photographic food atlas may be used as a reference aid and a guide to food portion sizing during dietary counselling. Perceived challenges in the provision and uptake of dietary counselling included shortages in resources, cultural and external factors. Training of all cadres, income generating activities, delivery methods and provision of incentives were perceived as the driving factors to the provision and uptake of dietary counselling.
In conclusion, dietary counselling was perceived as vital in improving the nutritional status of women of reproductive age and young children in the Kahawa West region. There was a general perception among all informants that the photographic food atlas would be a beneficial additional tool during provision of dietary counselling. Further research on the extent to which a photographic food atlas may motivate women and young children to modify their dietary habits in the management of nutrition-related diseases including diabetes, stroke, specific cancers and heart diseases may be important. Additionally, research evaluating the benefits of providing dietary counselling using a photographic food atlas may be beneficial in improving nutrition counselling services in the region.
A qualitative approach was applied in this study. Thematic interviews with open ended questions were used to collect data from healthcare workers working in Kahawa West public health center in Nairobi, Kenya. Healthcare workers’ perceptions on dietary counselling and the inclusion of a photographic food atlas in dietary counselling were explored. Six healthcare workers participated in the study. Thematic analysis was applied and an inductive approach used to develop themes.
The results were organized into four themes including nutritional knowledge and support, inclusion of a photographic food atlas in dietary counselling, challenges to provision and uptake of dietary counselling and driving factors to provision and uptake of dietary counselling. The study findings indicated the importance of dietary counselling in creating awareness on nutrition, offering guidance on proper dietary habits and minimizing disease risks. The photographic food atlas may be used as a reference aid and a guide to food portion sizing during dietary counselling. Perceived challenges in the provision and uptake of dietary counselling included shortages in resources, cultural and external factors. Training of all cadres, income generating activities, delivery methods and provision of incentives were perceived as the driving factors to the provision and uptake of dietary counselling.
In conclusion, dietary counselling was perceived as vital in improving the nutritional status of women of reproductive age and young children in the Kahawa West region. There was a general perception among all informants that the photographic food atlas would be a beneficial additional tool during provision of dietary counselling. Further research on the extent to which a photographic food atlas may motivate women and young children to modify their dietary habits in the management of nutrition-related diseases including diabetes, stroke, specific cancers and heart diseases may be important. Additionally, research evaluating the benefits of providing dietary counselling using a photographic food atlas may be beneficial in improving nutrition counselling services in the region.