Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40949816›Full record

ArticleWellcome open research2025

Exploring mothers' and grandmothers' perceptions of animal-source complementary foods in the diets of young children in The Gambia: A qualitative study.

Emily Dawson, Ahmed Futa, Maaike Klappe, Carla Cerami, Hilary Davies-Kershaw

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Article in Wellcome open research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Emily DawsonLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, England, WC1E 7HT, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0935-151X
Ahmed FutaMedical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, Banjul, N/A, The Gambia.
Maaike KlappeMedical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, Banjul, N/A, The Gambia.
Carla CeramiMedical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, Banjul, N/A, The Gambia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7634-0955
Hilary Davies-KershawLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, England, WC1E 7HT, UK.

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: In The Gambia, many children consume diets that are lacking in nutrients that are essential for their growth and development. This study aims to explore Gambian mothers' and grandmothers' perceptions around animal source foods (meat, eggs, milk etc.) in order to inform future interventions focused on improving child feeding practices. Methods: In July and August 2023, nine semi - structured focus group discussions were conducted with mothers and grandmothers in two settings in The Gambia. A purposeful sample of participants were recruited with the support of each local Medical Research Council clinic. Data were analysed using the framework method and thematic analysis. Participants included 19 mothers and 12 grandmothers in a semi-rural area and 12 mothers and 12 grandmothers in a rural area, caring for children 6-24 and grandmothers were in separate groups. Results: Knowledge gaps were identified in both settings regarding aspects of complementary feeding, such as the appropriate timing and methods for introducing animal source foods to children's diets. Differences were noted in the availability and dissemination of infant and young child feeding information in the two settings, emphasising the crucial role of contextual factors in shaping future programmes. The accessibility and affordability of animal source foods, was found to be a key determinant of their inclusion into children's diets. A reliance on commercially available complementary foods was common in both settings. Conclusion: This study reveals disparities between current complementary feeding practices and guidelines in this setting. It also underscores context-specific barriers caregivers encounter in offering diverse complementary foods, including animal source foods. A high reliance on commercially available complementary foods was also uncovered, particularly in Keneba. Further research is recommended to aid the development of context- specific interventions.

Indexed as

Complementary feeding practices; Complementary foods; Animal source foods; Qualitative analysis; The Gambia; mothers; grandmothers

Identifiers

PMID40949816
PMCPMC12423624

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.