The acceptability of dietary tools to improve maternal and child nutrition in Western Kenya.

Objective: Dietary practices in Kenya often fail to provide adequate nutrition during the first 1000 days of life, from conception to 2 years of age. We developed and qualitatively assessed the acceptability of easy-to-use dietary tools consisting of a marked bowl, slotted spoon and illustrated counselling card to support appropriate dietary practices during pregnancy, exclusive breast-feeding and complementary feeding of children aged 6-24 months.

Design: We conducted qualitative research to assess community acceptability and obtain feedback on the design of the dietary tools.

Acceptability and utility of an innovative feeding toolkit to improve maternal and child dietary practices in Bihar, India.

Background: Dietary practices in India often fail to provide adequate nutrition during the first 1,000 days of life.

Objective: To explore the acceptability and utility of a low-cost and simple-to-use feeding toolkit consisting of a bowl with marks to indicate meal volume and frequency, a slotted spoon, and an illustrated counseling card to cue optimal dietary practices during the first 1,000 days.

Methods: In Samastipur District, Bihar, India, we conducted 16 focus group discussions and 8 key informant interviews to determine community acceptability and obtain feedback on design and delivery of the feeding toolkit.