Capacity building of frontline workers in urban slums on infant and young child feeding: A pre–post interventional study
Rupali Sabale, Gajanan VelhalAbstract
Background:
Poor IYCF practices and prolonged malnutrition lead to stunting. To effectively promote IYCF practices in the community, the capacity building of frontline workers (FLWs) is crucial. Thus, research was planned to build their capacity.
Material and Methods:
A single-group pre–post interventional study was conducted between April and June 2024 to assess the effectiveness of a structured infant and young child feeding (IYCF) training programme among frontline workers. A total 147 FLWs working in urban slums were trained after assessing their knowledge about the age of initiation of common food items as complementary foods. Participants received structured IYCF training on dietary knowledge and counseling techniques. Pre- and posttests were used to assess the changes in knowledge. Field supervision was conducted to assess counseling skills. Data were entered and analyzed using the SPSS software version 17.0.
Results:
Most participants were aged 31–50 years. A majority had over 10 years of work experience (65.2%), but only 14.3% had received IYCF training in the past year. Despite 70.1% claiming prior training, 40.3% reported difficulties in IYCF counseling. FLWs demonstrated varied knowledge regarding the appropriate age of initiation of complementary foods. Significant knowledge improvements were observed posttraining across IYCF domains. The mean knowledge score increased significantly from 4.23 ± 1.8 before the intervention to 11.40 ± 2.2 after the intervention. FLWs inculcated counseling skills during their interaction with the mothers in the field. Reinforcement was needed in counseling on how to add a variety of food groups to the baby’s diet.
Conclusion:
Skill-building IYCF training can substantially enhance the knowledge and counseling abilities of FLWs.