Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Complementary Feeding in Cameroon

This study was undertaken to access the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding complementary feeding in Cameroon. The target population for the KAP evaluation was mothers of children aged between 01 to 18 months living in different quarters of the 6 districts of Douala the city. A cross sectional survey was conducted in a representative sampling. Two-degree sampling was used in this survey and 102 randomly selected mothers of children from the six districts the city were selected according to Fisher's formula. An attempt was also made to produce weaning flour with participants using the most use food items. The nutritional composition was access using standard methods and compare with standards. The sensory evaluation of porridges produce from weaning flours was also access. Results show that mothers of children are young and their children are in food transition period aged between 01 to 18 months. Most of mothers are unemployed and come from the west region of Cameroon. They are literate in majority without any cultural prohibition. Nevertheless, they have low socioeconomics levels. Only few of them have knowledge about weaning practices and the WHO recommendations regarding weaning feeding. Corn, potato, soybeans, groundnut, carrot, orange, egg shell and dry fish are the most food items use in weaning practices. Complementary flours produce fulfilled standards for some macronutrients but not for others. The gross energy values are closer to standards. Porridges prepare from weaning flours was appreciated by mothers who accept to change attitude by indicating that they would feed these porridge to their children.