Anne Otonom Seviyesinin 0-5 Yaş Grubu Bebek ve Çocuklarda Beslenme ve Antropometrik Ölçümlere Etkisinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

An Investigation of the Effect of Mother’s Autonomy Level on Nutrition and Anthropometric Measurements of 0-5 Years Age Group Infants and Children, Hacettepe University Graduate School of Health Sciences Nutritional Sciences Programme, Master of Sciences Thesis, Ankara, 2019. This study was designed to define the autonomy levels of mothers who were victims of domestic violence and to determine the effects of autonomy levels on nutritional status of their children and anthropometric measurements of themselves and their children. A total of 108 women who were victims of domestic violence and living in a woman shelter in Ankara and their 157 children (0-5 years old) were included into the study group. In control group, 96 women who were not victims of physical violence and their 125 children were included to the study. A questionnaire was administered to determine the demographic characteristics, sociotropic-autonomous personality traits, and nutritional habits of the children and anthropometric measurements (body weight at birth, current heigt and body weight) were collected. Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale was used to define the personality traits of women. Child Feeding Questionnaire was used to determine nutritional attitudes of mothers towards their children. In study group, 69 women were sociotropic (mean age; 30.9±6.81 yr) and 39 women were autonomous (mean age; 31.8±7.03 yr); in control group, 20 women were sociotropic (mean age; 31.2±5.23 yr) and 76 women were autonomous (mean age; 33,2±6,11 yr). Body weight at birth, current height and current body weight of children of sociotropic mothers (2.8±0.31 kg, 92.0±12.09 cm, and 13.80±3.36 kg; respectively) were significantly lower than children of autonomous mothers (3.07±0.58 kg, 93.9±13.08 cm, and 14.7±3.78 cm; respectively), (p<0.05). Similarly, anthropometric measurements of children of domestic violence victim mothers were found lower than children of mothers who weren’t victim of domestic violence (p<0.05). Total duration of breastfeeding was shorter for children of domestic violence victims (10.0±8.12 months) than children of women without domestic violence (16.6±7.03 months), (p<0.001). According to child feeding questionnaire, nutrition knowledge level was lower in domestic violence victims (13.5±3.99) than women without domestic violence (15.9±2.42), (p<0.001). In conclusion, mothers who were victims of domestic violence seem to have more sociotropic personality traits, anthropometric measurements of their children were lower, and decision-making abilities for child feeding and nutrition knowledge levels were lower compared to the women without a history of domestic violence. To improve the nutritional status of domestic violence victims and their children, nutrition education interventions are necessary.