Nursing Mothers’ Perceived Determinants of Healthy Eating among Preschoolers in Iwo Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated nursing mothers’ perceived determinants of healthy eating among preschoolers in Iwo Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria. This study purposively examined whether nursing mothers perceive parental influence, socio-economic status, and food preference as determinants of healthy eating among preschoolers in Iwo Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria. A descriptive research design of survey type was employed for this study. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 422 respondents. Researchers developed a questionnaire validated by 3 experts from the relevant field was used for the study. A correlation coefficient of 0.76r was obtained using the split-half reliability method. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics of Chi-square were used to answer the research questions and test the hypotheses, respectively. All hypotheses were tested and rejected at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that nursing mothers perceive parental influence (Cal χ2 val. of 208.4 ˃ Tab χ2 val. of 16.92), socio-economic status (Cal χ2 val. of 334.7 ˃ Tab χ2 val. of 16.92), and food preference (Cal χ2 val. of 297.7 ˃ Tab χ2 val. of 16.92) as determinants of healthy eating among preschoolers in Iwo Local Government Area, Osun State, Nigeria. It was evident that nursing mothers in this region perceive parental influence, socio-economic status, and food preference as crucial factors shaping the dietary choices and behaviours of young children. This suggests the importance of targeted interventions and comprehensive strategies aimed at addressing various dimensions of influence to promote healthier eating habits among preschoolers