– Cultural Beliefs and Practices of Mothers Towards Neonatal Health in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria –
ABSTRACT
Cultural practices consist of the beliefs and practices held or observed through grandparents, parents, and society. There are various cultural practices that affect the neonate.
Harmful cultural practices are those practices that are known to have negative effects on neonatal health. The aim of this study was to explore the cultural beliefs and practices on neonatal health among mothers in Igabi LGA of Kaduna State. A cross-sectional descriptive design was adopted.
A total of 400 mothers were recruited through multistage sampling techniques during the period of October 2016 to December 2016. A semi-structured questionnaire was the main tool for data collection.
All ethical consideration was kept during the study phases. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20 was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that: Majority of the mothers 333 (85.9%) were between the age range of 21 – 40 years old. Ninety-five-point-one percent were Muslims.
More than half of the mothers 257(66.5%) were unemployed. Also (57%) delivered their babies at home whereas (53%) of them had unplanned deliveries.
Seventy percent of them delivered in the presence of unskilled health providers. The mothers accepted the cultural practices regarding neonatal feeding (60%), and care during neonatal illness (53%). Cultural beliefs (46.8%) and past experience of mothers (34%) were the reasons for performing the practices.
Mothers are not aware of the effect of female genital mutilation (69%), traditional uvulectomy (67.8%), dauri (herbal) bath, and administration (50.5%).
The common harmful cultural practices performed by mothers in Igabi LGA of Kaduna State include female genital mutilation (68.3%), traditional uvulectomy (63.6%), the use of dauri (herbal) bath, and administration (54.4%).
The result also showed that at p= 0.05 level of significance there was a vii significant relationship between mothers agep= (0.05), ethnic groupp= (0.02), and cultural beliefs of mothers.
It also revealed that there was a significant relationship between cultural practices and marital statusp= (0.005), ethnic groupp= (0.018), family incomep= (0.056), parityp= (0.025), number of children alivep=(0.015) and place of delivery of mothersp= (0.003).
INTRODUCTION
Culture is derived from a French term which in turn derived from the Latin “colere”, which means to tend the earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture.
Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group defined by everything from language, religion, social habits, etc. (Kim, 2015).
The Center for Advanced on Language Acquisition CARLA (2014) defines culture as shared patterns of behavior and interactions, cognitive constructs, and understanding that are learned by socialization.
Thus, it can be seen as
the growth of a group identity by social healthy patterns unique to the group. Culture is also dynamic and evolving, learned and passed on through shared among those who agree on the way they name and understand reality, often identified „symbolically‟, through language, dress, music, health behaviors, and integrated into all aspects of individuals‟ life (Nova, 2005).
Abasiekong (2010) stated that culture “is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of the society”.
There are various cultural practices followed which affect the neonate, a family which mirrors values, traditions, customs, and beliefs, i.e. culture of a society to which it belongs, plays an important role in physical,, social development and health on neonate (Reshma and Sujatha, 2014).
are also protected by taboos, which are strong social prohibitions (or bans) and are related to human activity or social custom based on moral judgment and beliefs.
This means that cultures are not easy to 2 change, because people adhere to these patterns of behavior, believing that they are the right things to do (Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health, 2005).
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