Determinants of food intake among lactating mothers in Butambala District, Uganda

Abstract

Introduction: Lactating mothers in Butambala district form of part the 15.5% underweight women (BMI<18.5) in central Uganda, and this is attributed to maternal and socio-economic factors. This study therefore assessed the food intake of lactating mothers and the associated factors in Butambala district. Methods: A cross sectional study involving 302 lactating mothers who were still breastfeeding children aged 0-24months was conducted in Butambala district, Uganda in 2014. Food intake was assessed using food variety scores. A food variety score between 25- ≥ 30 indicated high food intake and a score < 25 indicated low food intake. Data on food intake was collected using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). A semi- structured questionnaire was used to collect data on maternal factors and socio-economic factors. Data was entered in EP data 3.02 for cleaning and later analysed using STATA 12.0. Logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with food intake using odds ratio as a measure of association. A p-value <0.05 denoted statistical significance