Parenting practices in Kerala: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

This paper presents outcomes of a cross-sectional study conducted in Kerala, India on the parenting practices of 0–3-year-old children supported by UNICEF. The aim of the study was to explore early child-care practices from conception to 3 years with a focus on the family as caregiver. Positive attitudes were observed in key indicators of child-rearing practices among the study population. No major difference was observed among women of various sociodemographic backgrounds in this respect. Early child-care practices are reaching high standards, even in tribal and economically backward areas. This may be an indicator of the overall achievement of Kerala in general health status. Even though parenting practices are generally healthy, as revealed through focus-group discussions, parents face many problems in child rearing and would benefit from training in parenting practices.

Keywords:

• Parenting
• child-rearing
• breast feeding
• immunization
• childhood morbidity

Acknowledgement

This study was funded by UNICEF, Chennai.

Notes

¹ Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is a large network program of the Government of India, designed and implemented for the welfare of women and children. Under this service anganwadi centres are set-up throughout India. One anganwadi centre covers a population area of approximately 1000 people. Anganwadi workers are community workers at the grassroots level and most social welfare programs are implemented with the help of them. Each anganwadi worker is in charge of an anganwadi centre. He or she is in charge of conducting pre-schools, implementing the supplementary nutrition program for pregnant women, lactating mothers, 0-6 age group children and elderly population.

² The cold chain network is a system designed to maintain the proper refrigeration of vaccines as they are transported from the place of manufacture to where they will be used. The role of cold chain is to maintain the potency of vaccines.