Maternal Nutrition Knowledge, Attitude, And Practices of Food Selection for Pre-School Children in Plateau Central Senatorial Zone, Nigeria

AFiniki Emmanuel Dapas; Prof. Larai A. Keswet; Gavou T. Pam PhD

doi:10.56201/rjfsqc.vol.12.no7.2026.pg103.113

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Maternal Nutrition Knowledge, Attitude, And Practices of Food Selection for Pre-School Children in Plateau Central Senatorial Zone, Nigeria

AFiniki Emmanuel Dapas, Prof. Larai A. Keswet, Gavou T. Pam PhD

Abstract

This study assessed maternal nutrition knowledge, attitude, and practices of food selection practices for pre-school children in the Plateau State, Central Senatorial Zone, Nigeria. Specifically, the study determined maternal nutrition knowledge of food selection, attitude towards food selection, and challenges faced in food selection practices for pre-school children. Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1985) served as a theoretical framework. Descriptive survey research design adopted. The population comprised 50 mothers of pre- school children (2-5 years) in Bokkos, Mangu, Pankshin, Kanke, and Kanam local government areas. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 50 mothers (30 rural and 20 urban). Instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled Maternal Nutrition Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Food Selection Questionnaire (MNKAPFSQ), validated by three experts from Home Economics Education, Early Childhood Education, and Measurement and Evaluation. A reliability coefficient of 0.82 was obtained using Cronbach's alpha. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and t-test at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that mothers had moderate knowledge (Grand Mean: rural = 2.11, urban = 3.39), positive attitude (Grand Mean: rural = 2.98, urban = 3.55), and challenges faced (Grand Mean: rural = 3.28, urban = 3.31). Major findings were that mothers had significantly greater knowledge and positive attitudes toward food selection practices than rural mothers, and both groups experienced comparable challenges in their food selection practices for pre-school children. The study concluded that positive knowledge and attitude did not translate to good practices due to economic, environmental, and time barriers, resulting in low perceived behavioural control. It was recommended that health workers should encourage and organize maternal child nutrition education, women's empowerment through cooperatives, responsive feeding education, and low-cost preservation technologies to improve maternal practices and nutritional outcomes in Plateau Central.

Keywords

Maternal Nutrition knowledgeAttitudePracticesFood SelectionPre-school ChildrenPlateau Central.

References

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Maternal Nutrition Knowledge, Attitude, And Practices of Food Selection for Pre-School Children in Plateau Central Senatorial Zone, Nigeria

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