Original Research

Nurses’ knowledge and attitudes regarding malnutrition in children and its management in Ghana

Victor Mogre, Alaru Yakubu, Musah Fuseini, Anthony Amalba, Sixtus Aguree
Curationis | Vol 40, No 1 | a1618 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/curationis.v40i1.1618 | © 2017 Victor Mogre, Alaru Yakubu, Musah Fuseini, Anthony Amalba, Sixtus Aguree | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 26 September 2015 | Published: 31 October 2017

About the author(s)

Victor Mogre, Department of Health Professions Education and Innovative Learning, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
Alaru Yakubu, Department of Nursing, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
Musah Fuseini, Department of Nursing, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
Anthony Amalba, Department of Health Professions Education and Innovative Learning, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
Sixtus Aguree, Department of Community Nutrition, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana

Abstract

Background: Malnutrition contributes significantly to child morbidity and mortality. Nurses require appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes to prevent and treat malnutrition in children using appropriate guidelines or protocols.
Objectives: The aim of this article was to assess nurses’ knowledge, attitudes towards malnutrition and its management using the World Health Organization (WHO) or United Nations International Children’s Fund guidelines for the treatment of severely malnourished children and to evaluate factors associated with their knowledge and attitudes.
Methods: Participants included 104 nurses working in the outpatient and paediatric units or departments of four hospitals in Tamale metropolis. An 88-item questionnaire was used to measure nurses’ socio-demographic characteristics as well as their knowledge and attitudes towards malnutrition in children and its management using the WHO guidelines for the inpatient treatment of severely malnourished children.
Results: Nurses’ knowledge in malnutrition and its management was slightly above average (54.0%), but their attitudes were highly positive. Factors that were associated with nurses’ knowledge were number of nutrition courses undertaken in nursing school, number of years working as a nurse, receipt of a refresher course on nutrition after school and receipt of training on the guidelines. Nurses’ attitudes were associated with report of having awareness on the guidelines, number of years a nurse has been involved in the treatment of a severely malnourished child.
Conclusion: Nurses’ knowledge levels in the inpatient treatment of severely malnourished children were not desirable. However, their attitudes were generally positive. Receipt of previous training, awareness of the WHO guidelines, practice experience and number of years as a nurse significantly affected knowledge and attitude scores in the positive direction.

Keywords

knowledge; attitude; severely malnourished children; protocol; guidelines; nurses

Metrics

Total abstract views: 6233
Total article views: 7086

 

Crossref Citations

1. Interactions between malnutrition, soil-transmitted helminthiasis and poverty among children living in periurban communities in Maranhao State, Northeastern Brazil
Mayron Morais Almeida, Kerla Joeline Lima Monteiro, Polyanna Araújo Alves Bacelar, Jéssica Pereira dos Santos, Simone Patrícia Carneiro de Freitas, Brenda Bulsara Costa Evangelista, Daniella Nobre Leal, Denilson de Araújo e Silva, Aline Borges Cardoso, Elaine Ferreira do Nascimento, Antonio Henrique Almeida de Moraes Neto, Filipe Anibal Carvalho-Costa
Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo  vol: 62  year: 2020  
doi: 10.1590/s1678-9946202062073

2. Knowledge, attitudes and practices of nurses regarding maternal nutrition in pregnant women at a large hospital and filter clinics, Lesotho
Tsiame M. Mekhoa, Nomaxabiso M. Mooi, Olivia B. Baloyi
Health SA Gesondheid  vol: 27  year: 2022  
doi: 10.4102/hsag.v27i0.1768

3. Classes of medications prescribed to malnourished children and their relationship with time to recovery
Morgan E. Braxton, Alexia L. Woodward, Kim L. Larson
Public Health Nursing  vol: 41  issue: 1  first page: 90  year: 2024  
doi: 10.1111/phn.13260

4. Addressing Malnutrition in Children: An Appraisal of the Ondo State Nutrition Program
Olugbenga O Osunmakinwa, Victoria O Oladoyin, Oluyemi Okunlola, Demilade Ibirongbe, Oyetunde T Oyeyemi, Ajoke Awosusi, Olalekan W Adebimpe, Olorunfemi Ogundele, Jumoke Akinkuotu, Kikelomo Adejuwon
Cureus  year: 2022  
doi: 10.7759/cureus.28595

5. Health Care Providers’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding Facility-Based Management of Children With Severe Acute Malnutrition in Bangladesh
Md. Ridwan Islam, Shah Mohammad Fahim, Md. Golam Rasul, Mohammad Jyoti Raihan, Nafi Mohammad Ali, Md. Mofijul Islam Bulbul, Tahmeed Ahmed
Food and Nutrition Bulletin  vol: 43  issue: 4  first page: 465  year: 2022  
doi: 10.1177/03795721221116710

6. Improved care and survival in severe malnutrition through eLearning
Sunhea Choi, Ho Ming Yuen, Reginald Annan, Michele Monroy-Valle, Trevor Pickup, Nana Esi Linda Aduku, Andy Pulman, Carmen Elisa Portillo Sermeño, Alan A Jackson, Ann Ashworth
Archives of Disease in Childhood  vol: 105  issue: 1  first page: 32  year: 2020  
doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2018-316539

7. Four levels of evaluation nurse training program on regional food
Ádria Marcela Vieira Ferreira, Leidiane Minervina Moraes de Sabino, Lilia Jannet Saldarriaga Sandoval, Francisca Elisangela Teixeira Lima, Mariana Cavalcante Martins, Paulo César de Almeida, Lorena Pinheiro Barbosa
Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem  vol: 73  issue:  suppl 6  year: 2020  
doi: 10.1590/0034-7167-2019-0745

8. Pre-natal nutrition education: Health care providers’ knowledge and quality of services in primary health care centres in Lagos, Nigeria
Hanifat Abisola Ibikunle, Ifeoma Peace Okafor, Adebola Afolake Adejimi, Sharon Mary Brownie
PLOS ONE  vol: 16  issue: 11  first page: e0259237  year: 2021  
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259237

9. Healthcare providers’ implementation of severe acute malnutrition guidelines and the factors associated with it among healthcare providers working at public health facilities of South Wollo Zone, Northeast Ethiopia, in 2024
Mohamed Yimam, Asnakew Molla Mekonen, Mengistu Mera Mihiretu, Dagnachew Melak, Shbre Tsegaw, Fanos Yeshanew Ayele
Health Research Policy and Systems  vol: 23  issue: 1  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1186/s12961-025-01304-0

10. “A child with severe pneumonia cannot feed, causing malnutrition”: exploring health worker and caregiver perspectives and practices for mitigating malnutrition among children with severe pneumonia, a case of Uganda
Damalie Nalwanga, Robert Opika Opoka, Andrew Sentoogo Ssemata, Lawrence Kakooza, Andrew Kiggwe, Victor Musiime, Sarah Kiguli
BMC Health Services Research  vol: 25  issue: 1  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1186/s12913-025-13014-y

11. Factors influencing the implementation of severe acute malnutrition guidelines within the healthcare referral systems of rural subdistricts in North West Province, South Africa
Faith Nankasa Mambulu-Chikankheni, Dickson Abanimi Amugsi
PLOS Global Public Health  vol: 3  issue: 8  first page: e0002277  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002277