Effectiveness of Intervention Practices in Preventing Childhood Malnutrition in a Semi-rural Area of the Western Cape

ABSTRACT

Malnutrition is a global concern and particularly in children. It impacts negatively on mortality, morbidity, educability and productivity, and it affects millions of children in South Africa. As part of our Millennium Development Goals set by the Department of Health and World Health Organisation (WHO), it is vital to combat malnutrition by eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. Health care workers needs to apply health promotion intervention strategies to combat malnutrition, particularly for children under five years old. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of intervention practices in preventing childhood malnutrition in a semi-rural area in the Cape Winelands of the Western Cape. A qualitative approach with an explorative design were used. Data were collected through focus group interviews. Thematic content analysis with coding was used for qualitative data analysis. The results revealed that three categories of interventions for preventing malnutrition were recorded in this study. The first category contained the interventions and practices that had taken place in the clinic. This was followed by the second category of interventions, namely those interventions that had taken place in the community and the third category of interventions presented in the form of referrals. This study recommended that health education and health promotion should be done at all health facilities with regular intervals, as well as within the community. Authorities should provide a platform for all doctors and all categories of primary health care workers, including various categories of registered professional nurses, caregivers and home based care givers, dieticians and social workers, to go for regular updates and to participate in continuous development programmes to combat malnutrition. The results could improve health care practices in the communities of the Western Cape and the South African context at large.

KEYWORDS:

• Health education
• child
• malnutrition
• nursing practice
• health workers

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 2020 Global nutrition report: action on equity to end malnutrition. https://globalnutritionreport.org/reports/2020-global-nutrition-report/executive-summary/.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bingwen Yan

Bingwen Yan is currently the Head of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Cape Peninsula University of Technology. His research field covers a wide range of engineering management and nursing management practices.

Hilda Vember

Hilda Vember is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Nursing Science, Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She currently teaches graduate courses and supervises Master students. Her research fields cover broadly nursing education and nursing management and practices, as well as HIV/AIDS and sexuality.

Reginald Loots

Reginald Loots is currently the Clinical Programme Co-ordinator of the Facility Based Services/School Health in the Department of Health, Western Cape Government. His research fields cover nursing and health care sciences and more in childcare practices.