SOCIO-CULTURAL DETERMINANTS OF INFANT MALNUTRITION IN CAMEROON

Author:

PEMUNTA NGAMBOUK VITALIS,FUBAH MATHIAS ALUBAFI

Abstract

SummaryThis study seeks to explore and explain the socio-cultural factors responsible for the incidence of infant malnutrition in Cameroon with particular emphasis on northern Cameroon where it is most accentuated. It combines quantitative data drawn from the 1991, 1998, 2004 and 2011 Cameroon Demographic and Health Surveys, as well as a literature review of publications by the WHO and UNICEF. This is further complemented with qualitative data from various regions of Cameroon, partly from a national ethnographic study on the ethno-medical causes of infertility in Cameroon conducted between 1999 and 2000. Whereas socio-cultural factors related to child feeding and maternal health (breast-feeding, food taboos and representations of the colostrum as dangerous for infants) are widespread throughout Cameroon, poverty-related factors (lack of education for mothers, natural disaster, unprecedented influx of refugees, inaccessibility and inequity in the distribution of health care services) are pervasive in northern Cameroon. This conjunction of factors accounts for the higher incidence of infant malnutrition and mortality in northern Cameroon. The study suggests the need for women's empowerment and for health care personnel in transcultural situations to understand local cultural beliefs, practices and sentiments before initiating change efforts in infant feeding practices and maternal health. Biomedical services should be tailored to the social and cultural needs of the target population – particularly women – since beliefs and practices underpin therapeutic recourse. Whereas infant diarrhoea might be believed to be the result of sexual contact, in reality, it is caused by unhygienic conditions. Similarly, weaning foods aimed at transmitting ethnic identity might not meet a child's age-specific food needs and might instead give rise to malnutrition.

Publisher

Cambridge University Press (CUP)

Subject

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,General Social Sciences

Reference74 articles.

1. Tanku T. I. (2012) Death toll rises in Cameroon flooding, which has displaced thousands. CNN News. URL: http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/21/world/africa/cameroon-flooding/index.html (accessed 19th October 2012).

2. Ofosu D. Y. (1998) The impact of modernizing influences on breastfeeding and sexual abstinence: some evidence from Western Africa. Paper presented at the African Population Conference organized by IUSSP, UAPS and the Direction de la Statistique of Senegal at the Novotel and Teranga Hotels, Dakar, Senegal, 7–12th November 1998.

3. Haub C. (2012) Cameroon 2011 Demographic and Health Survey shows stalled fertility decline, improving health indicators. In Health, Population Basics, Reproductive Health. Population Reference Bureau. URL: http://prbblog.org/index.php/2011/12/12/cameroon-2011-demographic-health-survey/

4. Weaning practices amongst the Hausas;Osuhor;Journal of Human Nutrition,1980

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3