WEANING PRACTICES AND FOODS IN HIGH POPULATION-DENSITY AREAS OF LUSAKA ZAMBIA

A weaning practices and foods study was conducted to provide guidelines for a concurrent project on development of computer-optimized weaning blend formulations from indigenous Zambian food commodities. The study sample was selected from mothers and their children in 5 high population-density areas of Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, to represent children in similar urban communities in Lusaka for whom improved weaning mixtures are to be designed. The investigation included a nutritional evaluation of children's dietary intake; a survey of cultural, social and economic practices which could influence nutritional status; and responses from mothers as to which foods they would use or avoid in weaning their children. The results suggest the mothers are considerably more knowledgeable about the principles of child nutrition than their practices indicate. The information obtained will be helpful in nutritional design and selection of most likely acceptable ingredients for low-cost, blended food weaning mixtures.