ArticleJournal of health, population, and nutrition2026
Associations between maternal perceptions of infant growth and feeding and infant growth outcomes in community health clinics: a prospective multicentre longitudinal study.
Article in Journal of health, population, and nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundExclusive breastfeeding (EBF) during the first six months of life is critical for infant survival, growth, and development. Maternal perceptions of infant growth and feeding, shaped by cultural norms and healthcare support, may influence feeding practices and subsequent growth outcomes. Guided by the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, Theory of Planned Behaviour, and Ecological Systems Theory, this study examined the associations between maternal perceptions of infant growth and feeding and infant growth outcomes during early infancy.
methodsA prospective multicentre longitudinal study was conducted from February 2015 to January 2019 across six community health clinics in the Gombak District, Malaysia. A total of 460 full-term mother-infant pairs were followed from 1 to 6 months postpartum. Maternal perceptions of infant growth and feeding were assessed using a culturally adapted questionnaire addressing feeding adequacy, growth concerns, and adherence to recommended feeding practices. Trained nurses measured infant length and weight. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine associations between maternal perception scores and infant growth indicators, adjusting for ethnicity and maternal education.
resultsMaternal perceptions of infant growth and feeding adequacy were positively correlated with length-for-age z-scores (LAZ; r = .18) and weight-for-age z-scores (WAZ; r = .60) at 1 month (p < .001 for both), and with LAZ at 6 months (r = .21; p < .001). Perceptions of feeding recommendations were also correlated with LAZ at both time points and were strongly associated with WAZ at 6 months (r = .90; p < .001). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that more favourable maternal perceptions at 6 months were independently associated with higher LAZ at 6 months.
conclusionsMore positive maternal perceptions of infant growth and feeding are associated with favourable infant growth outcomes during the first six months of life. Theory-informed interventions that strengthen maternal understanding of feeding adequacy and address perceived barriers, particularly through culturally tailored counselling and community-based support, may support optimal feeding practices and healthy early growth trajectories.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.