Development of Food and Nutritional Management Model Using Mother’s Food Guideline, Khuanru Sub-District: A Participatory Action Research

Abstract

Development of Food and Nutritional Management Model Using Mother’s Food Guideline,  Khuanru Sub-district: A Participatory Action Research This participatory action research aimed to develop a model of food and nutritional management using mother’ s food guideline including clean food, good nutrition and made with love. Research had 2 cycles with 3 phases for each cycle namely, Phase 1: situational assessment of nutritional problems, for this phase, data were collected from mother representatives at family level including 4 age groups; preschool-aged children, school-aged children, pregnant woman and older adults with a total of 110 families, using questionnaire, focus group, interview and observation. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency and percentage. Content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Phase 2: planning and developing operational tool by identifying mutual guideline, developing networks, brainstorming, contending for exemplary mothers and selecting the best essay and painting under a topic of mother’s food. Phase 3: implementation of food and nutritional management using Mother’s Food Guideline. Co-researchers included administrators of sub-district administration organization, village health volunteers, registered nurses, administrators of elementary schools, teachers, representatives of parent and members of elderly club, with a total of 30. Results revealed that food and nutritional management model using mother’s food guideline, Khuanru sub-district, Rattaphum district, Songkhla province included 1) development of individual competencies including educating and building awareness of mother’s role, 2) management of environment facilitating desirable nutritional behaviors, 3) development of system and comprehensive communication mechanism for mother’s food, 4) development of leaders of mother’s food both family and community level as well as nutritional surveillance network, 5) development of public policy by incorporating mother’s food issue into local development plan. As a result, development of food and nutritional management model using mother’s food guideline had the strength in terms of involvement of health networks in community. Hence, it should be used as management guideline for prevention and sustainable nutritional promotion.