AU - Panahandeh, Zahra AU - Dousdar Sanaye, Mehrnaz TI - Infants' complementary food pattern and mothers' knowledge in rural areas in ‎Rasht city PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE TA - gums-hnmj JN - gums-hnmj VO - 18 VI - 1 IP - 1 4099 - http://hnmj.gums.ac.ir/article-1-262-en.html 4100 - http://hnmj.gums.ac.ir/article-1-262-en.pdf SO - gums-hnmj 1 AB  - Introduction:‎‏ ‏Prompt start of complementary food and mothers' knowledge regarding it is ‎very important for the child’s nutritional status.‎ Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess infants' pattern of complementary food ‎and nutritional knowledge of mothers in rural areas in Rasht city.‎ Methods: In a cross-sectional study in summer of ‎‏2006‏‎, among a group of women who ‎attended rural public health centers for infantile care in Rasht, we selected ‎‏269‏‎ women, by ‎random multi-stage cluster sampling. Demographic data, introduction time and type of ‎complementary food, knowledge and source of information were collected during interview ‎and recorded in a questionnaire. Depending on knowledge scores, the knowledge was ‎categorized in three levels: weak, intermediate and good. We used Fisher’s Exact‏ ‏and Chi-‎square tests for statistical analysis and p<‎‏0.05‏‎ as significant. ‎ Results: In this study ‎‏91.8%‏‎ of mothers had good nutritional knowledge. Rate of exclusive ‎breast feeding was ‎‏93%‏‎. For more than ‎‏80%‏‎ of children Fereni (combination of milk and rice ‎powder) was the first complementary food at the beginning. About ‎‏93%‏‎ of children were ‎predominantly fed with homemade-food after the first year of their life and ‎‏33%‏‎ ate less than ‎‏5‏‎ meals a day. Rate of breast milk weaning was ‎‏17%‏‎ at the end of the first year. The first ‎source of nutritional knowledge of mothers was local health centers. ‎ Conclusion: Women in this study had appropriate knowledge and performed according to ‎advised complementary food pattern. In attention to the important role of health centers in ‎increasing mothers' knowledge level regarding complementary food, giving more attention to ‎these centers is necessary.‎ CP - IRAN IN - LG - eng PB - gums-hnmj PG - 9 PT - Research YR - 2008