Beliefs about feeding practices and nutrition for children with disabilities among families in Dharavi, Mumbai
- 1 March 2003
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in International Journal of Rehabilitation Research
- Vol. 26 (1), 33-41
- https://doi.org/10.1097/00004356-200303000-00004
Abstract
Attitudes arise from specific experiences and emotions driven by cultural beliefs. An understanding of societal constructs regarding disability in a given culture contributes to developing strategies to meet the needs of children with disabilities by providing culturally competent services. In 1999, a series of focus-group discussions were conducted with families in a low-income community in Mumbai, India to collect qualitative information on the knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA) regarding disability, feeding and nutrition to facilitate the development of an intervention to improve the nutritional well-being of children with disabilities. The KSA of this population of poor families has seldom been directly examined. The specific objectives of this study were (i) to describe the experiences of families with young disabled children in the local community; (ii) to identify the nutritional and feeding needs of children with disabilities; and (iii) to identify any service, environmental or attitudinal barriers to acquiring an adequate nutritional status. Content analysis of concepts in the focus groups identified four emerging themes: (i) acceptance of disability; (ii) services and needs; (iii) future; and (iv) food and nutrition. The focus-group findings enabled a broader understanding of attitudes towards disability within this population, which can have an impact on the care of the child. The findings provided insights into the content of the intervention to be helpful for local families incorporating an understanding of the cultural background of the local community that must be included alongside our understanding of the feeding impairment.Keywords
This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- Mothering and DisabilityInternational Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 2000
- Poor nutrition is a serious problem in children with cerebral palsy in Palawan, the PhilippinesInternational Journal of Rehabilitation Research, 2000
- The nutritional status of disabled children in Nigeria: a cross-sectional surveyEuropean Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999
- Maternal expectations about normal child development in 4 cultural groups.Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 1997
- A study on disabled children in a rural community in southern ThailandDisability and Rehabilitation, 1996
- Qualitative Research: Introducing focus groupsBMJ, 1995
- Qualitative Research: Reaching the parts other methods cannot reach: an introduction to qualitative methods in health and health services researchBMJ, 1995
- A nutritional study of children with hearing and visual impairments in LebanonJournal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 1994
- Nutritional Status of Normal and Handicapped Children in Benin City, NigeriaTropical Doctor, 1988
- Nutritional Status of Handicapped Pupils in Ile-Ife, NigeriaTropical Doctor, 1983