Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Nutrition Among Mothers of Under-Five Children Attending Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria.

ABSTRACT
Title: Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Nutrition among Mothers of Under-Five Children Attending Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria. The objective ofthis cross-sectional study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, ascertain the attitude andidentify the practices on nutrition among mothers of under-five children in Ahmadu BelloUniversity Teaching Hospital Zaria, Nigeria. The method used is a convenience samplingtechnique and the sample size is 257 mothers with children under five. Data were collectedthrough a structured questionnaire comprising multiple-choice and Likert scale. Thequestionnaire covered topics related to maternal nutrition knowledge, attitudes towardsbreastfeeding and complementary feeding, and practices regarding children's dietary intake. Thefindings of the result revealed varying levels of nutrition knowledge among the participatingmothers. While some mothers demonstrated a good understanding of nutrition principles, othersdisplayed misconceptions and knowledge gaps. Positive attitudes towards nutrition, particularlyrecognizing the importance of breastfeeding and diverse food choices, were evident among aconsiderable number of mothers. However, there were areas for improvement in the practice ofoffering a balanced diet to their under-five children. Thefinding of the study highlights thesignificance of targeted nutrition education and support for mothers to promote healthy eating practices for their under-five children. Nurses and healthcare professionals can play a crucial role
in empowering mothers through collaborative care and culturally sensitive interventions. By
addressing the identified gaps and misconceptions, healthcare initiatives can be developed to
improve maternal and child nutrition outcomes at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital
Zaria. Keywords: Nutrition, Maternal Nutrition Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Under-Five
Children, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria, Nigeria