ASSESMENT OF COMMUNITY PERCEPTION TOWARDS EXISTING MANAGEMENT PRACTICE OF MODERATE ACUTE MALNUTRITION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY IN WOLAITA, ETHIOPIA.

Background: Moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) affects many children in poor countries, a significant proportion of the affected children progress towards severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and dies if they do not receive adequate management service. The study aimed to describe the existing management practice of MAM and to understand the perceptions of mothers/caregivers of children below five years of age and health workers of the current management practice of MAM in Wolaita.

Methods: A descriptive exploratory qualitative design using 6 focus group discussions with purposely selected mothers/caregivers of children aged 6 to 59 months and 10 In-depth interviews with purposely selected health extension workers (HEWs) and women development army workers (WDA) were conducted. Transcription was done by the local languages and again translated to English by different individuals. Transcriptions of interviews were assisted by Express Scribe transcription software. Each transcript was given a distinct identification number to keep participant confidentiality. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The data analysis was assisted by ATLAS.ti 8 software.

Results: Overall, the respondents stated as the current management practice of MAM is inadequate. The findings showed that monthly screening, nutrition counseling, and follow-up visit were the usual existing management practice of MAM. These described existing management practices of MAM were similar among mothers/caregivers and service providers. The respondents perceived that household food shortages, financial limitations of the family and time constraints of caregivers were the obstacles while providing and benefiting services.

Conclusions: Even though nutrition counseling is given to the mothers/caregivers of children with MAM as a routine management service of MAM, the children are not adequately benefiting from it. They are not getting improved and progressing to SAM. An intervention addressing the food shortage and financial constraints of households in addition to nutrition counseling is critical in overcoming MAM in children younger than 5 years.

Key words: Moderate acute malnutrition, Perception, Existing management practice, Qualitative study, Wolaita, Ethiopia