Maternal nutrition knowledge, infant feeding practices, and linear growth of 6-12 months old infants in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya

Koh, Su Yuan and Nurliyana Abdul Razak, . and Satvinder Kaur, . (2024) Maternal nutrition knowledge, infant feeding practices, and linear growth of 6-12 months old infants in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition (Malaysia), 30 (3). pp. 429-442. ISSN 1394 – 035X

Introduction: Stunting is a serious form of childhood undernutrition due to its long-term impact on growth and development. This study aimed to determine the associations between maternal nutrition knowledge, infant feeding practices, and linear growth of infants aged 6-12 months in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 229 mothers with infants aged 6-12 months. Socio-demographic background, anthropometric measurements, infant feeding practices, and maternal nutrition knowledge were assessed through questionnaires. Length-for-age z-score (LAZ) was calculated using WHO Anthro software and classified based on WHO child growth standards. Infant and Young Child Feeding Index (ICFI) was used to measure infant feeding practices. Results: Mean total percentage score of maternal nutrition knowledge was 77.90% (SD=7.99), while mean ICFI total score was 6.73 (SD=1.40). Mean LAZ was -0.62 (SD=1.08) and stunting prevalence was 10.9%. Total ICFI score (r=0.162, p=0.014), infant’s age (r=-0.146, p=0.028), maternal height (r=0.310, p<0.001), and birth weight (r=0.370, p<0.001) were significantly associated with LAZ in the bivariate analysis. There was no significant association between maternal nutrition knowledge and linear growth (p>0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that birth weight (B=0.850, p<0.001), maternal height (B=0.045, p<0.001), infant’s age (B=-0.076, p=0.009), infant’s sex (B=-0.253, p<0.047), and total ICFI score (B=0.094, p=0.048) were significant contributors of infants’ linear growth. Conclusion: Infant feeding practices were associated with linear growth of infants, but not maternal nutrition knowledge. Therefore, the ability to put knowledge into practices is deemed important.

Full text available from: Official URL: https://maljnutr.org.my/publication/30-3/Vol%2030(...

Abstract

Introduction: Stunting is a serious form of childhood undernutrition due to its long-term impact on growth and development. This study aimed to determine the associations between maternal nutrition knowledge, infant feeding practices, and linear growth of infants aged 6-12 months in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 229 mothers with infants aged 6-12 months. Socio-demographic background, anthropometric measurements, infant feeding practices, and maternal nutrition knowledge were assessed through questionnaires. Length-for-age z-score (LAZ) was calculated using WHO Anthro software and classified based on WHO child growth standards. Infant and Young Child Feeding Index (ICFI) was used to measure infant feeding practices. Results: Mean total percentage score of maternal nutrition knowledge was 77.90% (SD=7.99), while mean ICFI total score was 6.73 (SD=1.40). Mean LAZ was -0.62 (SD=1.08) and stunting prevalence was 10.9%. Total ICFI score (r=0.162, p=0.014), infant’s age (r=-0.146, p=0.028), maternal height (r=0.310, p<0.001), and birth weight (r=0.370, p<0.001) were significantly associated with LAZ in the bivariate analysis. There was no significant association between maternal nutrition knowledge and linear growth (p>0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that birth weight (B=0.850, p<0.001), maternal height (B=0.045, p<0.001), infant’s age (B=-0.076, p=0.009), infant’s sex (B=-0.253, p<0.047), and total ICFI score (B=0.094, p=0.048) were significant contributors of infants’ linear growth. Conclusion: Infant feeding practices were associated with linear growth of infants, but not maternal nutrition knowledge. Therefore, the ability to put knowledge into practices is deemed important.

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Item Type:	Article
AGROVOC Term:	maternal nutrition
AGROVOC Term:	infant feeding
AGROVOC Term:	infants
AGROVOC Term:	mothers
AGROVOC Term:	birth weight
AGROVOC Term:	stunting
AGROVOC Term:	child growth
AGROVOC Term:	knowledge
Geographical Term:	Malaysia
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Maternal nutrition knowledge, infant feeding practices, linear growth, stunting
Depositing User:	Ms. Azariah Hashim
Date Deposited:	27 Jul 2026 06:54
Last Modified:	27 Jul 2026 06:54
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/4131

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