Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Malnutrition among Parents of Under-Five Children with Disabilities in Rwanda.

Background: Growth-related problems and malnutrition are common in children with disabilities. Malnutrition increases childhood morbidity and mortality, impairs intellectual development, and raises the risk of developing diseases later in life. However, information is limited for children with disabilities. Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices towards malnutrition among parents of under-five children with disabilities in HVP Gatagara Hospital. Methods: Using a non-probability census sampling, 130 parents of disabled children under five years of age participated in the cross-sectional study. Information was gathered using a structured questionnaire, and it was analysed descriptively and by binomial logistic regression. Results: According to the results, 61.54% of parents had moderate knowledge, while 7.69% and 69.2% had poor knowledge and positive attitude, respectively. In addition, 16.9% had insufficient practice, but most parents (70.3%) had moderate practice. Those with high knowledge (>70%) had 3.6-fold higher odds of good practices [OR=3.61; 95% CI=1.22 - 5.99; p=0.003]. Furthermore, being female was associated with increased odds of having adequate nutritional practice [OR=1.77; 95% CI=2.22 -3.24; p=0.019]. Conclusion: High knowledge of malnutrition led to adequate nutritional practice. Therefore, to improve best practices regarding malnutrition, it is necessary to focus on health education interventions that will raise parents' knowledge and positive attitudes about the condition of their children with disabilities.